Baby Girl
by LaxBellexRose
Summary: At the end of Fourth year, everything changed for the Golden Trio. A year later, the Ministry finally accepts Voldemort's return. With Sirius Black a free man, what will happen when tragedy strikes one of the Golden Trio? Rating subject to change.
1. Shallow Life

**Baby Girl**

_At the end of Fourth Year, everything changed for the Golden Trio. A year later, the Ministry finally accepts that Voldemort has returned. With Sirius Black a free man, what will happen when rebellion and tragedy strike our hero and heroine?_

**A/N:** Sadly, I do not own anything associated with JK Rowling or the world of Harry Potter (excluding the books and movies). The plot, as well as any original characters, is mine. (Story and chapter banners are in my profile.)

THIS IS NEW! I know that some of you like the old story, and I did too. This is basically the same, but I'm starting at a different point in time to move the story along. I'll be doing some flash backs to explain certain things, but otherwise this is taking place from the end of the 5th year on. Please R&R!

ALSO: Pottermore . com If you're on there, add me, I'm MirrorStorm9305. Have questions? PM me, and I'll try and help you out :)

**Chapter Soundtrack:**The Cranberries- Zombie, Emily Browning- Sweet Dreams

* * *

Pain coursed through Hermione as she was deluged in a cascade of heavy books. A particularly sharp corner of one book tore into her head. She lifted a hand to her temple and it came away covered in blood. Pressing her hand against her wound, her head spun as blackness threatened to overcome her vision, but she fought against it, concentrating on the sharp sting near her eye. Blinking, she looked to her left to see Harry fighting to remain upright after being thrown back into the stone wall.

"WE'VE GOT HIM!" She looked around wildly to see the Death Eater nearest Harry crying out. "IN AN OFFICE OFF-"

"_Stupefy!_" cried Hermione, throwing her wand arm up and sighing in relief as her spell hit the cloaked man. He tumbled over a stray desk and crumpled on the ground. In an outrage, the second Death Eater rushed forward, making a slashing movement with his wand. Just as a purple flame appeared to gather at the tip of the Death Eater's wand, two voices cried, "_Petrificus Totalus!_"

The man's arms and legs snapped together and he fell facedown on a rug at Harry's feet. Hermione looked gratefully into Harry's dazed green eyes and found Neville anxiously peering out from underneath a desk.

"Are you alright?" Neville asked, wiping the sweat off of his brow.

Hermione and Harry nodded, carefully regaining their balance and stepping away from the wall. Harry stumbled slightly and Hermione wrapped an arm about his waist. He leaned against her, raising a hand to the back of his head. With a groan, Hermione sagged as Harry's knees buckled and they both fell to the ground.

"Harry!" Hermione cried out, panic etching her face. "Neville! Help me!"

The boy crawled out from under his desk and kicked the Death Eaters' wands out of their reach. Shuffling over to the pair, he bent down and slipped an arm underneath Harry's and heaved him onto his feet.

"What now?" Hermione asked the boys.

"We need to find Ron," Harry breathed out, "and Luna and Ginny. We've got to get out of here."

Nodding in agreement, Neville and Hermione maneuvered Harry's stumbling form over the petrified and stunned men and snuck passed the baby-headed Death Eater without notice. Once the Time Room's door had shut behind them the walls shifted once more, leaving their vision streaked with fiery crosses and blue candlelight. The moment the walls stopped moving, a door flung open and three figured stumbled into the circular room. Ginny sunk to the floor, clutching her ankle, while Luna attempted to support Ron.

"Ron! Ginny- are you all-" Harry stopped himself as Ginny shook her head and Ron began giggling uncontrollably.

Luna looked at the two red heads helplessly. "I think Ginny's ankle is broken. I heard something crack. And Ron… Well, I don't know what spell they hit him with but it's made him go funny. I was barely able to get him along."

Harry slipped from between Hermione and Neville, shaking off their attempts to help him. "I'll be fine. We have to leave now, before anyone follows us." He turned to Luna. "Do you think you could help Ginny?" Luna nodded and ignored Ginny's attempts to support herself. "Neville, I need help getting Ron out of here."

As Neville and Harry each got a hold of one of Ron's arms, there was a distant shout from their right. Hermione ushered Luna and Ginny through the nearest door, which- as luck would have it- was also their way out. She stood ready and held her wand aloft as Neville grunted with the effort of pulling Ron through the door. Just as she thought they were free a red jet of light flew over their heads. Hermione threw herself on the ground and Harry pushed Ron through the door, spinning about and throwing a stinging hex at the nearest Death Eater. Neville and Luna had both turned back but before they could reenter the room, Hermione cried, "_Colloportus!_" and sealed the door shut.

Ignoring their friends' shouts, Harry yanked Hermione to her feet and they ducked into the nearest room. For a moment it felt as if they were suspended in mid-air and then their bodies collided with stone. They tumbled down stone step after stone step and with a sickening crack, they both landed at the base of the stone dais. The archway came in and out of focus as Hermione fought to return air to her lungs. She heard Harry gasping as well and struggled to her knees, hugging her ribs while fighting back tears. She crawled toward Harry whom had rolled onto his back, shaking as he examined his bloody left hand. Instinctually to break his fall, Harry's hands had gone out in front of him, but the prophecy had shattered upon impact and the orb now lay in pieces. From the remains on the ground rose a figure that stared at them with magnified eyes and opened its mouth, but before a sound came from it Death Eaters started pouring in from above. Harry and Hermione shared a look and she held a hand out to his uninjured one. They struggled to their feet, supporting one another as they raised their wands, prepared to fight as long as possible, but there was no hope in either of them. They were surrounded by half a dozen Death Eaters and without the prophecy it was unlikely they would be able to make another marvelous escape.

Lucius Malfoy stepped forward, flanked by Bellatrix Lestrange and held his hand out lazily. "Give us the prophecy, Potter. You have no way out. Either you will give it to us or we shall take it from you."

All of the Death Eaters had their wands out, slowly closing in on them from all sides. Hermione glanced around her, any sense of calm evaporating as her vision continued to cloud and Harry swayed next to her.

"We don't have it. It's broken," Harry said, holding up his bloodied hand as proof.

"No!" the Death Eaters hissed around them.

Malfoy flung out an arm to prevent Bellatrix from rushing at the pair. He appeared to deliberate very carefully before coming to within a hairs breadth of Harry. "What did it say, Potter?" Harry didn't answer. "WHAT DID IT SAY?" he screamed, shaking the front of Harry's robes.

"_Depulso_!" Hermione yelled, jabbing her wand at Malfoy and flinging him backward. Death Eaters rushed at them from all sides. She threw a shield up and pulled Harry down as a green jet of light flew over his head. He set the nearest Death Eater's robes ablaze and they climbed onto the dais.

"Harry! Behind you!" Hermione cried as Malfoy shot the _Cruciatus_ curse at them. Throwing herself in front of the boy, she screamed in agony as the curse overtook all of her senses. It was lifted momentarily and she lay shaking on the ground, confused as ringing in her ears muffled new noises that were slowly filling the room.

Feet were pounding down the steps and the crackling of magic thrummed around her. Shouts of pain and fury filled the air as Harry crouched over her, throwing jinxes at anyone who came near. Then, he was there, long black hair singed, gray eyes wide.

"Sirius," she whispered. And then it hit her. _Sirius!_ Her mind went wild with the implications and she sat up, her head swimming. Looking around her, she recognized the fierce faces of the Order of the Phoenix, screaming and fighting like wild animals. She clung to Sirius's arm as he yanked her up, protecting her as Yaxley flicked his wand in their direction.

"Harry, Hermione! Get out of here, now!" Sirius yelled, fending off another approaching Death Eater. He pushed them both behind him, his wand arm tracing intricate designs as his other was stretched out in front of them, trying to shield them from the bright jets of light thrown their way. As he stunned his enemy, he produced a shield charm and yelled again for the teens to get out of the Department of Mysteries.

Hermione gripped her wand firmly and held onto Harry's hand as they ducked out from behind Sirius's protective shield. They ran, shielding themselves and ducking when a green and red jet collided. Harry jumped up and held out a hand. As Hermione rose to her feet she noticed Harry pause, starring passed her in a dazed manner. "Harry. Harry!" she cried, pulling on his arm, but he didn't move. Finally she turned and looked in the same direction and saw Kingsley fighting against none other than Peter Pettigrew. His watery eyes were triumphant as they watched the auror fall to the ground, screaming as he was encompassed in a bright red light. He let out a high peel of laughter, revealing yellowed rat-like teeth. Hermione watched as Harry flicked his wand and easily disarmed the distracted man. Peter's eyes widened as he saw Harry approach. With a gasp of fear, he turned and darted across the room.

"Harry, no!" Hermione screamed, horrified as he sprinted after his parents' killer.

Harry was throwing every jinx and curse he could think of at the man, even screaming an unforgivable as the two ran up the stone steps, getting closer to the exit. Hermione tried to follow, stumbling as her disequilibrium got the best of her. As Peter disappeared through the doorway, there was a blood-curdling scream. Whipping around, Hermione watched as Tonks crumpled to the floor, blood seeping from her face and chest. Bellatrix laughed triumphantly as her enemy fell and turned her sights on Sirius who had just dodged Yaxley behind the veiled arch. Bellatrix's dark eyes gleamed as she raised her wand. Hermione's heart stopped for one terrifying moment as she recognized the murderous look in the woman's eyes. Breathless, Hermione ran toward Sirius, screaming out his name and throwing herself into his arms.

"_Avada Kedavra_!"

Sirius dropped just in time, wrapping his arms around the small witch as she fell on top of him. The green light flew overhead and an avalanche of stone and dust filled the room as the curse hit the ceiling. Death Eaters and Order members alike screamed as the room collapsed. Bellatrix screamed in outrage when she spotted Sirius and Hermione unharmed. She advanced on them as Hermione rolled off of Sirius, seething with fury. Faster than Hermione could blink, a bright purple flame rushed at her.

All at once, every little scrape, bruise and broken bone that Hermione had ever had returned to her. Her nightmares replayed themselves, filled with memories that had shocked or terrified her. Every failure, every bad thought and worry plagued her, all while fire coursed through her very veins, searing her insides. The pain rose tenfold with every breath, the images of her parents, Harry, Ron, the Weasleys and Sirius dead and lifeless filled her mind before she was engulfed by blackness.

Sirius threw a stunner at his cousin, but with an evil grin she had turned herself into what appeared to be thick black smoke. She rose and twisted in the air, wrapping herself around Order members who cried out in terror as they were disarmed and thrown to the ground, before whipping toward the exit and out of the room. Professor Dumbledore came through the door moments later, casting his wand about and preventing the uninjured Death Eaters from disapparating. He looked livid as he descended upon the scene. Having recovered, Kingsley and Mad-Eye corralled the Death Eaters into one section of the room while the remaining Order members started work on digging the others out of the pile of rubble. Turning to Hermione, Sirius fell to the ground and pulled her limp body onto his lap. He breathed heavily as he felt her neck for a pulse and sighed in relief as he felt the faint galumphing under his fingers.

"Where is Harry?" Dumbledore thundered, looking around the room full of rubble and injured witches and wizards.

"Professor," Remus Lupin called, rushing by Sirius. "Professor, Harry saw Peter and ran after him."

"Peter?" Dumbledore repeated, his eyes cold as ice. Remus nodded. "Sirius, take Ms. Granger to the hospital wing. Let Alastor deal with the others."

"Dumbledore, Harry is my godson. I cannot just leave-"

"My word is final, Sirius," Dumbledore said, "Remus, go with him and see that he gets Ms. Granger to the infirmary." With a glance at Sirius and the unconscious girl in his arms, the headmaster swept out of the room with his wand at the ready.

"Sirius?" Remus turned to his best friend. "Sirius, we need to get her to Madam Pomfrey."

Sirius was still holding Hermione, his expression dark as he held firmly to Hermione's hand. He looked up and Remus saw all of the emotions he himself had felt when he had realized two years ago that Peter was still alive and had betrayed their best friend.

"Let it go, Sirius. There's nothing you can do. Let Dumbledore take care of it."

"If he hurts Harry, I swear-"

"I know, Sirius. I know." Remus rested a hand on his friend's shoulder and stared hard into Sirius's eyes until he finally nodded.

Sirius brushed a hair away from Hermione's face, swallowing thickly as he was suddenly overcome with a sense of déjà vu. He blinked away the stinging in his eyes and scooped the girl up, cradling her as they exited the Department of Mysteries.

* * *

"Hermione… Hermione, can you hear me?"

The words were soft and confused at first. Hermione's head swam in a pool of images: her mother's face, a white cast, dragons, and blue-gray eyes. Her ribs ached and she strained to listen to the voices above her. An older woman spoke, irritated and sharp with the others around her. A young girl, perhaps her own age spoke as the older woman left. Her voice- the smug tone- was familiar, but she could not immediately place to whom it belonged. There was another presence to her right, but they did not speak and she no idea who might be with her.

With heavy eyelids, she slowly forced her eyes open, blinking as the brightness of the room filled her vision. She was temporarily blinded before everything came into focus. She was in the Hospital Wing, laying in one of the pristinely white beds, tucked tightly into the linen sheets. A warm, calloused hand enclosed her own, squeezing as she regained consciousness. Immediately she was enveloped in a warm hug, the laughter of the girl filling her ears. When the girl pulled away, amber eyes met dark ones.

"Oh, Hermione, I was so worried! When I saw you, Harry and Umbridge going to the forest I just knew something bad had happened." Amina spoke fast, flushed from excitement and the joy of having her friend conscious. "Mr. Black and I have been waiting an eternity for you to wake up."

Hermione's brow furrowed in confusion. "Mr. Black? You mean…" She looked to her right and heat burned through her as she met the gaze of one Sirius Black. He smiled at her and she returned it for a fraction of a second before she was struck with fear.

"Sirius! You can't be here! If the Ministry finds out-"

"I'm a free man," he said simply.

Hermione was speechless. She looked to Amina for confirmation before stuttering, "B-but how? When?"

Sirius's eyes darkened somewhat before he asked, "What do you remember from last night?"

She searched her mind, stumbling through memories of shattered spheres of glass and a baby-headed Death Eater. There was one where a ceiling had collapsed upon her and then…

"Wormtail! Peter Pettigrew! He was there and Harry saw him… Where's Harry? What happened to him?"

"Harry's just fine," Amina assured her, keeping her hands upon Hermione's shoulders so she could not rise. "He is with the headmaster right now."

"But what happened? Harry ran after him and afterward the ceiling… and Bellatrix…"

Sirius sat back in his chair, running his fingers through is already tousled hair. "Neville and Luna were able to get Ron and Ginny to the atrium just as we showed up. They're all okay," he insisted as Hermione opened her mouth to interrupt, "They were fairly banged up, but they're going to be just fine. Madam Pomfrey has seen to them."

"Where are they?"

Sirius pointed to a few beds up and across the room from Hermione's. "They've both been given a Dreamless Sleep potion. Luna explained what had happened. Most of us went immediately after you and Harry while a few escorted Luna, Neville, Ron and Ginny back here. The moment we got to the Department of Mysteries, it turned into a blood bath."

"Was anyone else hurt?"

Sirius nodded sadly. "Of course, there were a few Death Eater casualties, but Bellatrix hurt Tonks pretty bad. She was moved to St. Mungos about an hour ago, but they're still not sure if they can save her. She was really beat up. Kingsley had some bumps and bruises, as well as Mr. Weasley and Bill, but everyone else wasn't too bad."

"Harry ran after Peter. And Bellatrix-"

"Ah, well, Bellatrix was always good at getting out of as sticky situation. From what Dumbledore told us before he went to talk to Harry, she had joined up with Peter and Harry just before Voldemort showed up."

"You-know-who… Was at the Ministry?"

"Dumbledore came just after you were cursed. He went after Harry, fought Voldemort and won, at least we think he did. The Minister and his aurors showed up at the last moment and saw him before he disappeared. They know he's back now. Peter was too slow to escape and was caught by the aurors. The Minister sent word that as of now, I am a tentatively free man. Peter will be put on trial for treason and the deaths of James and Lily Potter, Marlene Mckinnon, Rebeckah and Sarai Greengrass and the muggles for which I was previously convicted. Once he is sentenced, I will regain full citizenship and all of my possessions will be returned to me."

"You said Marlene Mckinnon. Wasn't she killed before Peter-"

Sirius interrupted, "Dumbledore always had his suspicions that Marlene was killed by an insider. Someone from the Order. He collected evidence and later conceded that it must have been me, but he told me it never sat right with him until after he discovered the truth about what happened between Peter and me."

"What about Rebeckah and Sarai Greengrass?"

Sirius swallowed, opened his mouth and then closed it. He looked away and Amina answered instead.

"To the best of my knowledge, Rebeckah was a distant cousin of James Potter on his mother's side. She was a squib, so she never came to Hogwarts, but her family considered it a disgrace that she was non-magical so they abandoned her the moment she turned 17. The theory goes that they requested her disposal so they would no longer have any ties to the muggle community."

"How do you-" Sirius asked, dumfounded as he viewed the witch before him.

"Oh," she waved his question off, "I'm a bit of a genealogy freak. I started looking at the major pureblood families with children at this school and I am telling you, they've all produced at least one squib in the last fifty years and have thrown them to the dogs. Either they've been given to the muggle community or murdered. They're all ashamed of having non-magical relatives and want to be rid of them as soon as possible. Looking into the muggle records, it appears that many of the families have actually regretted letting their squib children live and have had them killed after they had settled into a peaceful muggle existence."

Hermione looked at Amina in shock and glanced at Sirius. He was staring at Amina with a strange mixture of sadness, fear and curiosity. Amina returned his questioning gaze which was only broken by the hospital wing's doors creaking open to permit a very cross Severus Snape. He had several vials in his hands and stopped with he saw the company around Hermione's bed.

"Ms. Renaud," he began, his voice very dark as he swept forward. "What interesting company you keep. Is it not passed your curfew?" He placed the vials on a table at the foot of Hermione's bed.

"I do believe, _sir_, that the headmaster gave me permission to visit Ms. Granger." Amina returned his gaze, eyebrow raised as if challenging the potion's master. "He outranks you, does he not?"

"Amina!" Hermione hissed, unable to believe that she was challenging the head of Slytherin house. Even Harry, who despised Snape more than anyone she'd ever met, rarely stood up to him, let alone show out right disrespect.

"It is also none of your business whose company I keep."

In a deadly calm voice, Snape pointed to the door and said, "Out."

Amina rolled her eyes and smiled at Hermione. "I'll stop by again tomorrow, if that's alright."

"Of course, but Amina-"

Amina waved off her friend's worries and flicked her hair back. Wiggling her fingers at Sirius, she nearly skipped from the room. Snape scowled as he watched the girl openly ignore him. He turned on his heel and followed, robes billowing in his wake.

The door clicked shut and Sirius let out a breath. "Is that girl mental or does she have as big a vendetta against old Snivellus as the rest of us?"

Hermione was speechless for a moment before answering, "I don't know. Honestly, he's her favorite professor. She told me so last year," she told him when he threw her a disbelieving look. "You should see the way they interact in class. It's like… Well, I don't even know how to describe it. Some days they are absolutely cruel to one another and it's like they enjoy it. Other days they basically ignore each other."

Sirius stared at her for a moment, thinking over her words. "You don't think they're…" he raised an eyebrow and it took a moment for Hermione to understand what he was getting at.

"Of course not!" she exclaimed, positively repulsed. "Ugh, ew, ew ,ew, _ewwww!_"

Sirius laughed at the young witch.

"This isn't funny, Sirius!" she cried, though the effect was somewhat ruined by her starting to giggle. She winced as pain seared her side and all laughter ceased.

"What's wrong?"

Hermione shook her head, taking slow deep breaths. "What happened?"

Looking down at their entwined hands, Sirius whispered, "You have a few broken ribs, a sprained ankle and some cuts and bruises. Madam Pomfrey said you'll be fine in a few days, but the residual effects of the curse…" He shook his head. "You saved my life." He looked up and found Hermione's eyes trained on him. "Again. I- I would be dead right now if it weren't for you. You saved me from the dementors, from starving in Hogsmeade, and from the killing curse. You jumped in front of me… and I couldn't protect you. None of us know what Bellatrix hit you with. Not even Snape. And now… No one knows what will happen to you or how it will affect you."

Hermione raised her free hand and brushed his cheek. His breath caught as she traced the line of his jaw, her eyes never leaving his.

"Why?" he asked, "Why did you save me?"

"I had to," she said simply. Her hand dropped to her lap and her eyes flickered away. "I didn't really have a choice."

"Hermione, I…" They looked at each other once again. In that moment, something passed between them. An understanding of sorts, although neither one understood how deep it went for the other. Without a word, Sirius raised Hermione's hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to her pale skin. Her eyes fluttered shut and she finally relaxed against her pillows, never letting go of Sirius's hand.

"Stay with me," she whispered.

"Always."

* * *

**A/N: **What do you think? Okay? Anything really squirrely? Anything you love?

LBR


	2. Attack

**Baby Girl**

_At the end of Fourth Year, everything changed for the Golden Trio. A year later, the Ministry finally accepts that Voldemort has returned. With Sirius Black a free man, what will happen when rebellion and tragedy strike our hero and heroine?_

**A/N:** Sadly, I do not own anything associated with JK Rowling or the world of Harry Potter (excluding the books and movies). The plot, as well as any original characters, is mine. (Story and chapter banners are in my profile.)

**Chapter Soundtrack: **Sweet Sister Temperance- Rasputina, Talese Haddock- Take Me Instead, Imogen Heap- Hide and Seek

* * *

"We'll see you really soon, Harry," Hermione whispered, pressing a kiss to her best friend's cheek. She pulled away and smiled at him, which he returned with great relief.

Waving to the rest of the crowd, Harry turned and followed his aunt, uncle and cousin out of Kings Cross Station, a slight bounce in his step. Hermione watched until he turned the corner and then turned to look around her. She was surrounded by the Weasleys, Remus, Tonks, and Mad-Eye Moody. Sirius had practically begged to see his godson off after having his idea of taking custody of Harry shot down by Dumbledore, but his request had again been denied. Although the Minister for Magic, one Cornelius Fudge, had told Sirius that he was essentially a free man, he warned him that he should still lay low for some time before the trial of Peter Pettigrew went forward. Fudge had begun speaking to the Prophet and dropping hints about the current situation, so it was generally known that the Ministry knew of Sirius Black's whereabouts and was investigating his unorthodox sentencing by Bartemius Crouch Sr. Fudge had yet to reveal that Wormtail was alive and well, but he had come forward and said that there was new evidence in support of Sirius Black's freedom, and that in one week, their information would be presented to the public.

Hermione sighed. She was happy for Sirius, but she felt terrible that he was still being locked up. But, she supposed, the knowledge that he would soon be able to go about in public, even in the muggle world, and not be arrested was reassuring. He had seen everyone off at Hogsmeade Station with the promise that he would soon be making a trip to visit Harry in Little Whinging. He had given Hermione a wink and waved until the Golden Trio had disappeared toward London. Already, she was thinking of what she would write to Sirius once she returned home. Over the last year, they had written regularly by pretending that he was her distant cousin. As she was a muggleborn, they hadn't been particularly worried about the Ministry investigating past her Muggle parents. In shorthand that they had quickly developed, she was able to tell him nearly everything that was happening with Harry and Ron through the year without rousing suspicion. Hermione was happily surprised by how apt a writer Sirius had been, and he had done his best to keep her filled in with everything that was happening outside of the school that hadn't been news in the Daily Prophet.

Smiling in thought, Hermione said her goodbyes to Ron and his family, and turned to gaze about King's Cross. She had yet to see her parents, but she wasn't worried. It was raining, and due to an accident when she was a child, they had been particularly careful whenever driving in bad weather.

Remus noticed her glance around the station and said, "I'll stay with you until they come."

"Thanks, Remus." Hermione threw him a grateful look.

The werewolf and witch made their way to the entrance, Remus seating himself on a long bench as Hermione peered out one of the great windows. All she could see was the heavy traffic, rain and passengers hurrying to get out of the rain and to the correct platform. With a sigh, she joined Remus on the bench and stretched her legs.

"They are coming, aren't they?"

Hermione waved a hand. "They'll be here. They're a bit paranoid whenever it rains."

Remus nodded and stared at a passing group of teens, babbling away in some eastern language as they pointed to one of the sleek black trains. "Have you thought of what you will do when you leave Hogwarts?"

Hermione opened her mouth for a moment, and closed it. Then she laughed lightly and said, "Honestly, I have no clue. I've thought about becoming a teacher or a healer. Professor Snape actually offered for me and another girl in my year to become his apprentices."

Remus looked shocked. "I thought he hated you."

She blushed. "Well, we don't like each other all that much, but he said that I was the only one in the year with high enough marks to be considered. Besides," she shook her head, looking away from her ex-professor, "it's the Ministry's idea. They're the ones that decided the school needed to offer more intensive study for those serious about pursuing hands on careers such as healing, teaching and such. Dumbledore and Professor Snape didn't have much say in it."

Silence reigned for a moment before Remus said, "You really are an extraordinary witch, Hermione. One of the greatest minds I've ever come across. You remind me of Lily in a lot of ways."

"Really?"

"Oh, yes." Remus smiled. "She was brilliant with magic and potions. Never came across anything she couldn't manage. To be perfectly honest, I'm beginning to think that purebloods are actually at a disadvantage."

"Why is that?" Hermione asked, utterly shocked with the direction their conversation had taken.

"I believe that as with muggle genetics, the more that families intermarry, their magic begins to die out- become handicapped in a sense. More and more squibs are produced with each generation, and almost entirely from pureblood families. Those with half-blood or muggle parents seem to be much more adept at performing complex spells than those that have a magical inheritance several generations back on both sides. Especially muggleborns. When I first saw you use your wand, I knew you would become the greatest witch that Hogwarts has seen in decades. Magic suits you."

Speechless, Hermione just stared at her former professor. He smiled and she worked to return it. The sincerity with which he had just spoken made her hope that she was really as great as they all said she was, but she couldn't help the small seed of doubt that had started growing in the back of her mind. With every compliment, it was harder and harder to accept the truth. She knew she was a smart and talented witch, but honestly, what were they all playing at? She wasn't nearly so capable as they all thought her.

Breaking their gaze, she rose from her seat and paced forward, wiping the fog away and peering through the window, anxious now for her parent's arrival. More than a half hour had passed since the Hogwarts Express had pulled into King's Cross. Hermione had expected her parents to be a few minutes late, perhaps ten or fifteen, but not this long. She watched with anxiety as a group of men and women sprinted passed the window, rain soaking through their clothes. Then the hairs on the back of her neck rose and fear coursed through her. Their expressions- they all looked terrified. Remus had joined her and he had his hand in his coat pocket, no doubt on his wand.

"Hermione-" he started, but they were thrown back as the windows in front of them exploded.

Shrieks filled the air as glass and sparks flew, a double-decker crashing into one of the support beams for the building. Green flames licked up the front of the vehicle and Hermione struggled to sit up. Remus was pulling on her arm, struggling to force her up. She had a few cuts along her cheek and was shaking terribly, but generally uninjured.

"We need to get out of here now!" Remus yelled.

"Wait," Hermione pressed, staring through the deluge. In the distance she could see the limping figure of… someone. It appeared as if they were supporting someone else that was much larger than they were.

The uneasiness in her stomach grew. She pulled away from Remus despite his objections and stepped carefully over the wreckage that was now King's Cross Station. The cold rain easily soaked through her t-shirt and jeans. Hermione shivered violently as she continued to watch the figures coming closer. The woman collapsed then Hermione knew.

"Mum! Dad!" She ran forward, dodging the muggles as they ran from the destruction.

"Hermione, stop! There could be-"

Remus's words were cut off three figures in black materialized. They surrounded Elisabeth and John Granger. Using all of his strength, he sprinted forward and grabbed Hermione from behind, fighting against her as she struggled to get out of his grip. She screamed as one of the Death Eaters raised their wand and her mother was encompassed in a bright red light.

Elisabeth Granger's screams pierced the air, mingled with her daughter's. John Granger lay motionless and Remus knew that he was dead.

"Hermione, we have to go!"

"Mum!" she screamed.

The other Death Eaters looked around and smiled at her. They did not advance; rather they turned back as the third Death Eater lifted the curse. The Death Eater pulled their hood back and Hermione was greeted with the malicious glare of Bellatrix Lestrange. Bellatrix winked at Hermione then, together with the other Death Eaters, they all pointed their wands at the muggle couple and bright green jets burst out of their wands. Remus reaffirmed his hold on Hermione and turned on the spot.

* * *

Sirius Black sat in the kitchen of the Burrow, musing over the current Daily Prophet. He had arrived a short while ago, just as the Weasley's had returned from King's Cross Station. Molly, out of pity he supposed, had invited him over for dinner. She had also said that with the twin's moved into their flat in Diagon Alley, he was welcome to stay with them until his court hearing next week. He was grateful to have somewhere to stay, for if Molly hadn't offered, he would have had to stay at 12 Grimmauld Place, alone and with the risk of being compromised. Kreacher, his house-elf, had betrayed him. He had revealed enough information about the Order to his cousins Bellatrix and Narcissa that he was certain they would be able to ascertain where the headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix was located.

He laid the paper down and leaned back in his chair, musing about what he would do once he was officially a free man. No longer would he need to hide behind closed doors. He could travel about the city- around the world if he wished: a summer in Venice, Christmas on some deserted, island. Sirius had craved fresh air and sunlight for so long he was certain that somewhere far south and warm was on his agenda. But there was one problem- Harry.

Dumbledore refused to budge when it came to Harry. It was still impossible to tell Harry any details about what was going on in the Order, and given the choice, Sirius thought he probably wouldn't want Harry to know anything anyway. He was so young and had so much of his childhood stripped away from him already, but Sirius knew he needed to know more than Dumbledore was willing to share. He was no longer a child and he was in the middle of this war- Voldemort and his Death Eaters trying to destroy him on one side, Dumbledore trying to unknowingly use him as a weapon on the other. Where did Sirius stand? What would Lily and James have done? They certainly wouldn't have allowed Dumbledore to control everything that Harry did.

Sirius ran a hand through is hair and let out a sigh of frustration. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a cigarette and lighter. Rather than suffer a lashing from Molly, he stepped out into the garden, enjoying the humid air as a storm rumbled to the east. He breathed in the smoke, closing his eyes and counting to five before slowly releasing it. With every drag, he closed his eyes and a pair of deep blue eyes appeared, smiling and laughing. His chest tightened uncomfortably, but suddenly released as the blue morphed into soft amber, framed by dark lashes and freckles.

"Sirius!"

Smoke rushed out of him as he opened his eyes and he found Molly Weasley glaring at him. Fumbling, he stubbed out his cigarette on the bottom of his shoe, sheepishly smiling at his cousin.

"Sorry, Molly. I just figured you didn't want it inside the kitchen."

The red-haired woman looked the ex-convict up and down before nodding and saying, "Do try to keep it further from the house, will you? I don't want my children getting any funny ideas."

"Course," Sirius replied, nodding to Ron and Ginny as the peaked out of the kitchen. He turned to join them, but a muffled _crack_ caught his attention. Turning toward the gate, he peered into the rushes, just catching a shadowy glimpse of a figure falling to the ground. He pulled his wand out as he reached for the gate latch, pausing as a blood curdling scream suddenly filled the air.

"_Sirius!_"

Without a second thought, Sirius ripped the gate open and darted into the rushes, praying to God that it wasn't who he thought it was. Within moments, he lighted on the figure and froze as he realized that it was Remus holding a soaked and distraught Hermione. She writhed against the werewolf's grasp, strands of hair stuck to her bleeding cheek as she screamed and sobbed.

Slowly, Sirius approached his godson's best friend, reaching a hand out as if to a wounded animal. He touched her shoulder, whispering her name and her screams going quiet as her entire body collapsed against him. He wrapped his arms around the shuddering girl, hugging her to him as he tried to calm and reassure her. As he did this, Remus struggled to his feet, pointing his wand above his head and sending a wisp of silver smoke into the sky. Arthur and Molly pushed through the rushes then, wands at the ready.

"Remus! What's happened?" Arthur asked, taking into view Hermione's sobbing form.

"Death Eaters," Remus whispered, following the couple's gaze. Molly made to move forward but Remus put a hand up to stop her. "Don't overwhelm her, Molly. Right now we need to get inside and await word from Dumbledore. He'll need to be the first to hear what's happened."

"But what's happened to her? She looks as if she just been…" Molly looked back into Remus's yellow gaze.

"Go warn Ron and Ginny to stay in their rooms. We need to get her inside without them hovering about."

Molly blinked back tears and nodded to Remus, hustling back to the house and her curious children that had come out into the garden. Arthur followed his wife, casting anxious glances about as if a barrage of Death Eaters was going to surround the house at any moment. Wand at the ready, Remus turned back to his best friend. He had gathered Hermione into his arms and stood with a hollow expression. He nodded to Remus and walked toward the house, hardly breathing until he reached Fred and George's now empty room. Slowly, he lowered Hermione to one of the beds, but he prevented from standing when her grip tightened on his shirt.

"Please, don't leave me!" she cried, burying her head into his shoulder.

He sat on the edge of her bed and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "I promise, kitten," he whispered into her hair. "I'm here, love. Shhh…. I've got you. You're safe. I have you…" He continued to hold for several minutes her until he felt her grip slacken and her shudders soften. Her breaths had slowed and deepened enough that he was certain she had cried herself into an exhausted sleep. He removed his arms from around her and laid her against the pillows, casting his wand about and performing a silencing spell so her sleep wouldn't be disturbed. Standing to go down to the kitchen, he watched her for a moment before acting on impulse and leaned down to place a soft kiss against her forehead. "I'll be right back."

Tiptoeing out of her room, Sirius quickly made his way down the stairs and into a tense, albeit silent, kitchen. Every head of the Order turned toward him, including that of Albus Dumbledore.

"How is she?" Dumbledore asked.

Rubbing his face, Sirius shrugged. "She's asleep- from the shock, I think- but…" He shook his head. "What exactly happened? I've never seen her like that."

Everyone's gaze turned to Remus. He looked at his best friend and quickly explained all that had happened at King's Cross Station. As he listened, Sirius collapsed into a chair near the fireplace, head in his hands.

"Why would Death Eaters deliberately attack Hermione's parents?" he finally asked after Remus finished. He looked at Dumbledore questioningly. "I understand that they're muggles, but why purposefully seek them out?"

The headmaster exchanged a glance with Severus Snape and then replied, "It is our belief that Voldemort is looking for a weakness in Harry. At the Ministry of Magic, he discovered how deeply Harry cares and loves the people around him, especially his closest friends. Voldemort believes that through hurting those closest to Harry, he will cut off as many ties as possible to prevent his friends from being hurt which in turn will make him easier to destroy because he will no longer have the support and protection that his friends provide." He took another breath to continue, but after catching Snape's eye again, he slowly released it and looked down at the table.

Remus and Sirius both shared a look, certain that Dumbledore had intended to say more. Remus's golden eyes darkened as he contemplated the headmaster's unusual actions and demeanor. He found his friend's gaze had turned on Snape, but Severus was unfailingly silent and in perfect control of the emotions displayed upon his features. When Dumbledore finally looked up, all eyes focused once more.

"As Hermione has no family left- no aunts, uncles or grandparents to speak of- we must decide her fate and how she will be protected."

"Well, that's easy," Molly Weasley spoke up. "She will stay with us. We will be her family."

"Don't be silly, Molly. She won't be able to stay here. The whole of England knows that she is friends with Ron. How long do you think it will take for the Death Eaters to figure out that she's staying with you and find a way to break through your protective charms?"

"And what do you propose, Sirius?" Molly asked the ex-convict sharply. "That she goes with you wherever it is you're planning on disappearing to once your name is cleared? What right do you have to decide what happens to her? She isn't your child. She barely knows you!"

"Her mother asked me to protect her!" Sirius roared, on his feet with his hands on the table. "I was with the guard the night we picked her up and brought her to Grimmauld Place. I've known the Grangers far longer than you have, that I can guarantee!"

"How is that, _Black_, considering you spent 12 years in Azkaban?" Snape asked, finally opening his mouth.

Sirius opened his mouth to retort when a scream came from above. Without a second though, he sprinted up the stairs, bursting into Hermione's room. Her eyes were squeezed shut, but her chest was arched, hands clawing at her chest as she let out her loudest scream yet. Her chest was covered in scratches, blood welling just beneath surface as she continued to claw herself. Sirius rushed to her side and pinned her arms down, calling her name as he tried to rouse her from whatever nightmare she seemed to be stuck in.

Dumbledore swept into the room, followed by Snape, McGonagall and many other Order members who remained in the hallway. Molly tried to push her way into the room, but was held back by Remus. She watched anxiously as Hermione's screams quieted and she slowly opened her eyes.

Hermione looked around curiously, wondering why so many people were in her room. But this wasn't her room… It was unfamiliar to her, though she thought the smell was vaguely familiar. She struggled to push herself up and found that her arms were pinned down. Her eyes lowered, trying to see what was holding her still when she caught site of thin red lines on her chest. A stinging sensation suddenly swept over her. Tears began to well in her eyes and she struggled to free her arms. She found Sirius's hands enclosing her wrists and looked questioningly into his eyes.

"What happened to me?" she croaked. "Where am I? Where are my parents? Where are they?"

Sirius shook his head and the tears started pouring down her cheeks.

"Sirius… Where are they? Please… Sirius…"

"Hermione," Dumbledore said gently, conjuring up a chair and sitting next to the girl. "I know this is difficult, but do you remember what happened today? At King's Cross Station?" Hermione remained silent, but the fresh waves of tears were answer enough. "I have sent Order members to recover their bodies so they can have a proper burial."

Hermione squeezed her eyes shut, but nodded her head just so she wouldn't start screaming if she opened her mouth. She pressed a hand to her mouth to quiet her sobs, but they could still be heard. By now Ron and Ginny had come out of their rooms and were asking loudly what was going on, but Remus and Arthur were waving them back to their rooms and pushing the rest of the Order back to the kitchen.

Slowly, the room and hallway cleared until only Sirius, Dumbledore and Snape remained. Dumbledore rested a hand on her shoulder and said as gently as he could, "Hermione, I know this is difficult, but you will no longer be able to return home. The Death Eaters will be watching-"

"Surely that can wait?" Sirius snapped, glaring at the headmaster.

Dumbledore remained calm and returned his gaze to Hermione. "You understand, that as Harry's best friend and with the attack on your parents, that you are in great danger, don't you?"

Swallowing thickly, Hermione nodded, no longer struggling against Sirius's hold. She stared at her fingernails and chest, trying to remember what had happened just before she woke up. But there had been no dream, not so far as she could remember. Her mind was a complete blank aside from her mother's body falling to the ground…

"This has been a very trying day," Dumbledore continued, "but we have to act quickly. For your safety, we must move you to a safe house, somewhere that ideally is close to our new headquarters."

Screwing up her eyes in an attempt to quell her tears, Hermione whispered, "My grandmother left us a property in the south, a little ways from St. Ives. It's private property on the beach. There are no neighbors, just water and sand and trees… It's very large and out of the way."

Dumbledore nodded gratefully. "We shall investigate it, just to be certain no Death Eaters have discovered its connection to your family. If it is deemed safe, you shall be sent within the week."

Hermione nodded and turned her head to stare out of the window, fists clenched as she continued to grasp for control. Dumbledore rested a hand on Sirius's shoulder, shooting him a meaningful glance. The man nodded in understanding, releasing Hermione's hands and moving to Dumbledore's now vacated chair. Without another word, Dumbledore swept from the room, quickly followed by Snape.

Sirius sat in silence, hardly daring to breathe. He watched Hermione, slowly taking one hand when she continued to face the window. She did nothing at his touch, although he began to sense her relaxing after a moment. They stayed like that for hours- she looking out the window while he watched her- until their eyelids grew heavy just as the moon began to rise on the horizon.

* * *

**A/N: **Sorry for this taking forever! I've had most of this done for a while, but... Well, the explanation is too long so suffice it to say life has been hell and kinda exploded in my face. Never fear! I'm not planning on abandoning this story and I essentially have the entire thing planned out. Let me know what you think! Hope it wasn't too rough ;)


	3. Maybe

**Baby Girl**

_At the end of Fourth Year, everything changed for the Golden Trio. A year later, the Ministry finally accepts that Voldemort has returned. With Sirius Black a free man, what will happen when rebellion and tragedy strike our hero and heroine?_

**A/N:** Sadly, I do not own anything associated with JK Rowling or the world of Harry Potter (excluding the books and movies). The plot, as well as any original characters, is mine. (Story and chapter banners are in my profile.) PS I'm eating dates and Laughing Cow Cheese when I write this. I am not responsible for anything crazy… Dates do things to you. O.o

**PS! I am so so so so sorry I haven't updated in... I don't even know how long. I know this is super short, but I figured I needed to get something posted. Life's been a pain, but hopefully things will go better from here. No promises though.**

**Chapter Soundtrack: **Mumford and Sons- The Cave, Notre Dame de Paris- La Monture, Regina Spektor- Rowboats

* * *

Sirius peered through the crack in Hermione's door. She sat fully clothed on top of the covers, arms clutched to her chest and staring out of the window. Her expression was blank and her eyes were no longer red. A couple days after her parents' accident, she had stopped crying. All emotion, it seemed, had left her and she was empty now. In an effort to get some response from her, Sirius had placed _Hogwarts: A History_- Remus's suggestion- on the bedside table. Remus had told her of her love for the book and how she had always carried it around with her when he had been her professor. When he had entered her room with the book, she hadn't so much as looked at him. Now, the book was in the exact spot he had placed it in, untouched.

With a sigh, Sirius backed away and crept down the stairs into the kitchen. Molly Weasley was at the stove, stirring a pot of porridge and waving her wand so the toast floated over to the table. She looked up at him with a strained expression and turned back to the porridge, uttering a soft salutation. He sat at the table and pulled the _Daily Prophet_ toward himself. The headlines were all the same, exclaiming something about Voldemort or the damage the Death Eaters were causing. He pushed it away in boredom and ran a hand through his hair. His hearing at the Ministry was in a day. For some inexplicable reason, he was terrified. Of course, he knew he would be released. There was far too much evidence against Peter for there to be any doubt that Sirius had been wrongly accused. The Minister himself had essentially promised him a normal life without a mark on his record with everything of his returned. But it had been so long since he'd been a free man. He had not a clue as to what would happen at the hearing and where he would be left afterward. Yes, he had promised to stay with Hermione while she recovered, but what about after? Once she was better? How would the world react to him? Even the muggles knew he had spent 12 years in prison. Would there still be fear in their eyes when they met him in the street?

"You look rather pensive, my friend!" Remus exclaimed as he entered the kitchen. "Good morning, Molly."

"Morning, Remus. Care for a spot of breakfast?"

Remus smiled and clapped a hand on Sirius's shoulder. "That would be lovely. I actually stopped by to talk to you, Padfoot. Dumbledore and Kingsley have examined the Beach House. It's absolutely perfect for headquarters! The Fidelius Charm has already been cast on it, along with every other protection possible. Kinglsey said he'll be here around six tonight to take you two there. The sooner we get Hermione under cover, the better."

Sirius nodded and munched on a piece of toast.

"I still don't see why Hermione needs to be so far away! This home is perfectly safe for her to stay here."

"Molly," Remus said, shaking his head. "We've been through this before. Your home is registered with the Ministry. It wouldn't take more than a Confundus charm and some basic spells to get the information on how to break through. Besides, Kingsley has already reported attacks on some of Hermione's muggle neighbors. The Death Eaters are searching for her. She needs to be somewhere safe and unknown. The Beach House is perfect."

Mrs. Weasley pressed her lips together, but said no more as she served the men breakfast and called for her children to join them. Remus pulled up a chair next to his friend and softly continued his news.

"Dumbledore has had some things gathered from Hermione's home and taken to headquarters. Family albums, bedding, a few familiar items. He thinks that will help her come to terms with this whole thing and help her settle in more quickly."

Sirius stared at the werewolf, spoon halfway to his mouth. "What? To have reminders of the only family she had left that was taken from her? It's far too early for that to be any good. I doubt she'd even look at it anyway. She's not responded to me or anyone else since that day…"

Remus nodded in consent. "I agree with you there. I think perhaps… I know she trusts you and your company will no doubt help her, but I mentioned to Dumbledore that perhaps it would be good for her to see Harry soon. Maybe bring him to headquarters in a week or so."

"That would be wonderful! For both of them. I doubt he even knows what has happened."

The werewolf looked uneasy. "That's the thing, Sirius. When I mentioned it, he said that Harry was to know as little as possible until he said otherwise. He wants him to stay with his aunt and uncle."

"That's ridiculous! Harry hates that place! Besides, he's only going to be more upset when he finds out all of this was kept from him. And after tomorrow, I'll legally be his guardian. Dumbledore can't-"

"Dumbledore can, though." Remus shook his head. "He has so much power at the Ministry that even though you have custody of Harry, Dumbledore will make certain he stays with his aunt and uncle. He didn't say he would be there all summer, mind. But I don't think he'll let him come until his birthday. Perhaps later."

Sirius shook his head and stared glumly at his bowl.

"It'll work out, Sirius," Remus said. "Give it some time. I trust Dumbledore, even though I don't always agree with him. He's never put Harry in danger."

He stared at his friend until he sighed in resignation and nodded.

* * *

"Hermione," Sirius called, pushing the door open and peering into her temporary residence. She was in the exact same spot as when he went down to breakfast. His brow furrowed in worry, but he didn't comment- rather, he walked slowly into the room and stood next to the nightstand that had _Hogwarts: A History _on its surface. "You have a couple letters," he said, placing said items next to her book. "Harry and Amina both wrote." Sirius paused and bit his lip. "Kingsley is coming at six to take us to the new headquarters. Molly said she'll make whatever you like for dinner before we leave."

Breathing deeply, Hermione turned her gaze on him. Her eyes, although still a warm brown, seemed lifeless. She opened her mouth to utter what would be her first words in days, but shut it immediately. There was something there- a faint spark- behind those dark irises. She blinked heavily and it looked as if she was struggling with something, almost as if she had been weighted and was sinking beneath cold, dark waters as she tried to meet the surface. He moved closer and reached a hand out to place it on her shoulder and Hermione's eyes suddenly blazed. She gasped, eyes wide like she had been burned.

Sirius kneeled in front of the girl, grasping each of her shoulders. "What is it, love? What's wrong?"

Hermione shut her eyes tight, clutching her arms to her chest. She shook her head and breathed deeply. Sirius squeezed her arms and she looked at him again, pale and broken. Her right hand rubbed the spot over her heart where she had been cursed by Bellatrix.

"Is it hurting you?" he asked.

She nodded.

Sirius sat next to her and pulled her tight against is chest. He looked down at her in thought. It was a strange curse indeed- something unique to Bellatrix. Or perhaps Voldemort. If Dumbledore and Snape had no idea what it could have been, would it be possible that it was something new? Something never before seen? If it was being used by Voldemort and his closest supporters, wouldn't that monster want it to cause as much damage and pain as possible? And what was more powerful than losing everything you loved most?

He determined to discuss the curse further with Dumbledore. He was certain they must have an idea as to what it may have been. There may have been no physical damage, but he knew that mental and emotional trauma could be even more powerful. Perhaps that is what it was meant to do: turn an emotional trauma into something far more powerful than it would otherwise be. Destroy the person from the inside out. Turn the victim into something less than human- something emotionless and without interest. If Hermione stopped caring about herself or those she cared most about, how much longer could Harry survive? She was the reason harry had survived for so long- breaking the rules to get him out of trouble, researching and experimenting and going to any lengths to make certain he made it through every school year.

Maybe. Sirius shook his head, reminding himself not to jump to conclusions. He gave Hermione another squeeze and pulled away to look her in the eye. She seemed more relaxed now and her eyes held some warmth.

"Better?" he asked.

She nodded. "Sirius-" her voice was cracked from not using it for so long. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Breakfast."

Sirius looked strangely at the young girl next to him and she blushed. He smiled then, glad to see her not so morose.

"Breakfast?" he asked with one eyebrow raised.

She nodded her head. "When I was a kid, late at night when I couldn't sleep or if I was upset, my mum- I… uh… Well, breakfast for dinner always made me feel better. It's silly, I know-"

"No! Not silly at all! Just unexpected," Sirius said with a smile. "I'll run down and tell Molly." He rose from the bed and gave her a wink and a smile before running down to the kitchen to tell Molly of Hermione's request.

Hermione watched, a small smile starting at the corner of her mouth as she watched the marauder disappear. Suddenly, the black despair that had enveloped her seemed a little lighter. Warmth coursed through her and she looked out of the window, watching as the sun as its rays were reflected in the small ponds surrounding the Burrow. A slight breeze danced through the orchard, petals and leaves twisting in the small gusts. She sighed and leaned against the headboard. Things weren't perfect- they never would be. But, she thought, maybe one day she would feel whole again. Maybe.


	4. Sunshine

**Baby Girl**

_At the end of Fourth Year, everything changed for the Golden Trio. A year later, the Ministry finally accepts that Voldemort has returned. With Sirius Black a free man, what will happen when rebellion and tragedy strike our hero and heroine?_

**A/N:** Sadly, I do not own anything associated with JK Rowling or the world of Harry Potter (excluding the books and movies). The plot, as well as any original characters, is mine. REMEMBER- check the link in my profile if you'd like to see my story banners and extra pictures that inspired the chapters.

**Chapter Soundtrack: **My Name is Lincoln- The Island OST, My Love- Sia, A Thousand Years- Christina Perri, Sunshine- Matisyahu

* * *

Waves crashed against the sand, the sun setting in the distant horizon. Wind whistled as it flew by and brought with it the scent of salt, sand and an early evening shower. Hermione breathed deeply as the familiar surroundings came into view. They had just climbed to the point of a small hill and were now looking down upon her grandparent's summer home. The Beach House was just as she had remembered- white, two stories with a large porch and terrace. The house was raised upon stilts and had two enormous staircases leading to a front and side door. Beach grass grew in tufts all around the house and leading toward the beach. A tired, brown picket fence was bent haphazardly from the wind and surrounded the large home. On the north side of the home laid a carport that she knew housed her grandparent's old white car and several bikes used for afternoon trips to the local market. Behind the main house was a smaller, yet still large two story mother-in-law suite that had originally been rented out to vacationers and used for family friends when they came to visit.

The entire property stretched from the tip of the hill where Hermione now stood with Kingsley and Sirius, and went north for nearly a mile. With the charms and spells that Dumbledore and Kinsley had provided, it would be impossible for any muggles or Death Eaters to come across them by accident. Kingsley made his way down the hill, followed closely by the other two. He had his wand out a looked about suspiciously, but as expected, no one was in site. They trudged up the staircase and stepped into the house.

An open kitchen lay on their right, shared with the dining room and leading to a small hallway in the back of the house. A staircase in the center separated the living space on the left from the kitchen. In the center of the living space sat a large white sofa which had belonged to Hermione's grandparents. Set into the wall was a brick fireplace, where years ago Hermione had roasted marshmallows and chestnuts with her parents. She smiled sadly and turned away. Sirius stood next to her, unsure of where to go.

"You're room's upstairs with mine," Hermione said, leading him up the stairs.

"Hermione," Kingsley said, making her pause halfway up the stairs. "I must get back to the Ministry. I trust you to owl either myself or Dumbledore if anything happens."

She nodded and continued up the stairs in silence. Kingsley watched her, then nodded to Sirius before spinning on his heel and heading out of the front door. Sirius followed Hermione's footsteps, examining the family photos and artwork that hung on the walls as she led him to the back of the house.

Hermione walked straight down the hallway. There were four doors; three were bedrooms while the fourth was a shared bathroom. The first door on the left led to Hermione's suite which her grandparents had finished around her tenth birthday in the hope it would entice her to spend more time with them during the summer. At the end of the hall was Sirius's room. It was open with dark flooring, light walls and a large four poster bed in the center. A wardrobe lay on the right of the door along with a desk. When she heard that they had decided they would be using this house as headquarters, she thought long and hard about what would happen to the spare bedrooms. Since Sirius was coming with her, she had decided on giving him her parents' old room. She didn't have the courage to stay in there herself, but she hadn't wanted to lend it out as an extra room for when Order members stayed the night unexpectedly. She trusted Sirius, so she figured it would hurt less to have him be in there.

"Are you certain, Hermione? I could stay anywhere else," Sirius said, noticing her expression as she looked wistfully around the room.

She shook her head. "No, I want you to stay in here. I don't think my par- they would have minded."

Sirius nodded and set his trunk at the end of the bed. "Where will you be, love?"

Hermione pointed to her door. He nodded and towed her trunk into her room. He paused in awe as he looked about. The floor was dark just like his, but that's where the similarities ended. Her walls were covered in white painted beadboard. A large skylight draped with a white gauzy fabric overlooked a large, luxurious bed. To the right was a large wardrobe, the side covered by a large mirror. Seating had been placed at the end of her bed and against the opposite wall. To the left, a doorway had been cut out of the wall which opened into her private bathroom with a separate vanity.

"Weren't your grandparents spoiling a little bit, kitten?" Sirius asked with a smirk.

Hermione blushed. "I suppose that's one of the perks of being an only child." As she said this, her expression fell somewhat. Sirius looked at her with sympathy and she turned away. "They just wanted me to spend more time with them before they passed. I guess this was their way of trying to convince me to stop studying all of the time." She laughed, but it sounded fake.

She sat at the end of her bed, head bowed and hands fidgeting. Sirius put her trunk down and sat next to her. Cautiously, he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Hermione, I know there's nothing I can really say to make the pain go away. It never does, to be honest. When you lose people that are everything to you… A part of your world dies with them. But you learn how to deal with the pain. You just have to take it a day at a time and soon, you're able to remember all of the wonderful things you had with them."

He placed a hand under her chin and forced her to look up at him. Hermione's large brown eyes bored into his and he smiled at her. She weakly returned his smile and he released her.

"Do you need any help unpacking?"

She shook her head. "I'll be fine. Thanks."

Sirius nodded to himself and left, closing her door behind him.

* * *

"Sirius, I sense your concern, but there is nothing we can do. We know nothing about the curse."

"But what about my suggestion? Couldn't Snivellus make himself useful and find out? He's supposed to be in the Dark Lord's lap dog!"

Dumbledore held up a hand and shushed both of the dark-haired men before they could start. "Sirius, you know that Severus is in a very precarious position. He cannot allow himself to appear as if he is investigating or suspicious of Voldemort's secrets. We have heard your suspicions about what that curse might have done to Miss Granger, but there is no conclusive evidence. Her parents just died. That would cause anyone to be depressed and listless."

Sirius ran his hands through his hair and growled in frustration. "Dumbledore, it's been more than a week! I can barely get her to eat, let alone come out of her room. Maybe if you let Harry and Ron spend some time with her. Or Ginny or Amina, even. Allow her to have time with kids her own age. Let her try to forget."

"You know my reasons for keeping Harry out of this-"

"She's been cooped up for weeks! They both have!"

"So get her out of the house. Sirius, I must be going. We'll consider what you've said, but she was left in your charge long before her parents were murdered," the headmaster said quietly, looking directly into Sirius's eyes.

The ex-convict cringed and took a step back. As Dumbledore and Snape walked out of the kitchen, he remembered traveling to the Granger's home only a few weeks after the Tri-Wizard Tournament had ended. She had been excited to see Order headquarters at Grimmauld Place and to visit with Ron and Harry later last summer. But while she had been gathering her trunk and personal items, her mother had pulled Sirius aside. The moment he looked into her eyes- Hermione's eyes- he felt as if he was in another time and place. He felt that he had known Elizabeth Granger from long ago but before he could say anything she had made him swear to protect her little girl. The look in her eyes was feral and dark as if something horrible was going to happen to Hermione and she had known it. Now something horrible had happened to Hermione and he was failing Elizabeth. Sirius had an unseen connection to the woman, he was certain of it. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't remember why or how.

With a glance at the ceiling, he stood still and listened as the boards above him creaked and a door closed. Footsteps padded down the stairs and Hermione appeared, clad in loose pajamas with wet hair hanging down her back. She was pale and fragile looking, but there was a faint flush in her cheeks from her recent shower. Her fingers played with the edge of her sleeve as she smiled weakly at him.

"How are you?"

"Fine," she whispered, walking further into the kitchen. "Are they gone?"

Sirius nodded. "You hungry? It's still early and I was planning a stop to the market."

"Oh…" Hermione looked down, unsure of what to say.

"You could come with me. Hermione," Sirius stepped closer to her, mentally urging her to look up at him. "You haven't been out of the house since we got here. Maybe it would feel good to get out for a little bit. We could take the bikes and get some fresh air. We could eat on the beach even!" He smiled encouragingly.

Inside, Hermione wanted to run back to her room and curl up into a ball and not move until morning, but the light and encouragement in Sirius's tone and his enthusiasm to get out and about were enticing. She smiled and nodded, warmth rushing to her cheeks when his smile grew wider and he laughed excitedly.

"Excellent! Why don't you get dressed? I'll get the bikes ready and then we can stop by this little place I saw last week."

Hermione opened her mouth but closed it. She smiled and nodded and turned back up the stairs. With Hermione out of site, Sirius clapped his hands together and looked about. Suddenly, he had no idea what to do. Never in his life would he have suspected he could be this excited about going grocery shopping. He laughed at himself and shook his head. With the movement, he caught his reflection in the kitchen window. Rubbing his cheek, he suddenly decided he needed to get cleaned up a bit. He wouldn't have time for a real shave, but he could at least change his shirt to something a little less wrinkled.

Bounding up the stairs, Sirius swung wildly into his room, ripped open his wardrobe and grabbed the first shirt that caught his eye. Clad in a red plaid cotton shirt, blue jeans and sandals he slipped into the hallway and cast a look at Hermione's door. It was cracked open slightly and he could see her faint shadow as she moved about the room. He itched to step closer but he abandoned that thought and hurried down the stairs and into the carport to ready the bikes.

Meanwhile, Hermione was moving around in her room nervously, attempting to do something with her hair and change out of her pajamas at the same time. Since it was still early, she settled for a loose gray t-shirt and long shorts. Her hair, however, was not nearly so simple a decision. For the longest time she just stared at her reflection, twisting her hair this way and that, but nothing remotely appealing came to mind. Finally, she just gave up and let it hang loose past her shoulders and slipped a hair elastic onto her wrist just in case it started to become frizzy. She spritzed herself with a mix of honeysuckle and lemongrass and walked quietly from her room to meet her housemate.

When Hermione reached the carport, she found Sirius grinning from ear to ear with both bikes set up in front of him. He indicated the bike for her to take and she raised an eyebrow. He had attached a basket between the handlebars and it had a pink ribbon laced through it.

"What?" he asked, too innocent.

"That." She pointed and he grinned sheepishly.

"You see, if we're going to be grocery shopping, we need some way to transport the food home and this basket was the only suitable device I could find."

"If this was your idea then why is it on my bike?"

Sirius smirked. "You're the lady, kitten. I would die of utter humiliation if I was seen with a pink ribbon attached to my mode of transportation."

Hermione forced a scowl, but it only lasted for a moment before she burst into the laughter for the first time in weeks. Sirius felt as if a weight were lifted off his shoulders when he heard her finally begin to ease up. He held the bike out to her again and she gripped the handlebars, but not before ripping the ribbon off. They pushed their bikes up a small sandy hill before they reached a suitable muggle road.

"You sure you can ride that thing?" Sirius asked, settling himself onto his seat.

"Me?" Hermione asked incredulously. "I could ride a bike before I could walk. Are you sure _you_ can ride one?"

He grinned at her and indicated the open road in front of him. Taking the initiative, she pushed off and flew down the road gracefully, enjoying the feel of the breeze and sunshine against her skin. It had been so long since she'd been outside and she loved it. She felt Sirius come up on her right and was surprised at how easily he had adapted to a muggle contraption. He seemed to be enjoying the ride nearly as much as she was. Something about the man intrigued her and she suddenly felt very determined to figure out just what it was. Warmth settled into the pit of her stomach and she laughed again.

* * *

"You really enjoyed it?" Sirius asked again, watching Hermione anxiously.

She just laughed. "Yes, Sirius. It was wonderful. The _best_ fish and chips I've ever had."

Sirius smiled, pleased with himself. They were sitting comfortably on the bottom step of the porch, watching as the sunset reflected orange and red in the rippling water. After they had bought all of their groceries for the week, Sirius had insisted that they go to a small pub in town that- he claimed- had the best fish and chips in all of Britain. Hermione had agreed enthusiastically, feeling brighter and happier ever moment they spent out that evening. After they were done, they cycled home and stowed their bikes and fresh groceries away. Having had such a great evening, it hadn't taken very much coaxing on Sirius's part to get Hermione to sit outside with him while they sipped some coffee.

He glanced over every once in a while, ecstatic about the change in Hermione's attitude and even her appearance. While Hermione still appeared vulnerable, she had a faint flush in her cheeks and her eyes seemed to have recovered some of their normal brightness. She clutched her arms around her knees and bit her lip occasionally as if she were remembering something unwanted, but she seemed much more comfortable in her own skin than before.

Sirius looked up into the night sky, mentally making notes of each new star that appeared with the fading sun.

"Sirius," Hermione said.

He looked up at the urgency in her tone. Shadows moved on the top of the hill that was the designated apparition point for Order members. Two voices argued while several others asked questions in varying tones of distress. Sirius pulled his wand out and took several steps in front of Hermione. He called out to them.

"It's us, Sirius," Remus called, leading the group of Order members toward the house. "Dumbledore just sent us all messages. He said that something had happened and he needed to discuss it all with us in person. Hermione!" Remus greeted the girl in surprise. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, Profess- I mean, Remus." She tried to smile, but she was focused on the contentious group of Order members that were headed in her direction. "How soon will Professor Dumbledore be here?"

"Shortly, I assume," Remus said in an irritated tone. "We best get inside."

Sirius nodded and kept his wand out as he lead Hermione and the others inside. The dining room was soon filled up as Tonks, McGonagall, Kingsley, Remus, Sirius, Hermione, Mad-Eye and the majority of the Weasley's took their seats.

They all fidgeted nervously, no one daring to speak until Dumbledore and Snape arrived together. Snape, as was now usual, stood in a corner while Dumbledore came to the head of the table. He raised his hands to quiet the outburst of worried questions, lowering them once everyone had fallen silent. Hermione wringed her hands nervously under the table, unsure of how to handle the tension in the room. Noticing this, Sirius rested his hand on top of hers. She glanced at him quickly and he winked in reassurance. The tension eased in her hands and she let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

"I know that this was very short notice," Dumbledore began, recalling Hermione's attention. "We recently received some very unsettling news and need to act quickly." Everyone sat up straighter at the table, more alert. Dumbledore looked about slowly, eyes lacking their normal spark as he made eye-contact with each one of them. "Dedalus Diggle contacted me a short while ago and informed me that Harry has disappeared from his aunt and uncle's home."


	5. Whiskey Sunrise

**Baby Girl**

_At the end of Fourth Year, everything changed for the Golden Trio. A year later, the Ministry finally accepts that Voldemort has returned. With Sirius Black a free man, what will happen when rebellion and tragedy strike our hero and heroine?_

**A/N:** Sadly, I do not own anything associated with JK Rowling or the world of Harry Potter (excluding the books and movies). The plot, as well as any original characters, is mine.

**PS:** Sorry for another crazy long delay. I think I rewrote this chapter 3 times cause it just wouldn't come out right. Hope you enjoy!

**Chapter Soundtrack: **Llovera- Mia Maestro, Boys of Summer- Don Henley, Turning Page- Sleeping at Last

* * *

"What?!" Sirius exclaimed, standing so fast that his chair was knocked backward.

Hermione's heart froze in her chest, the blood draining from her face. She watched Dumbledore and Sirius as they stared at each other, ignoring the outcry from the other Order members. The headmaster never took his eyes from Sirius as he motioned for those around the table to be silent and to take their seats.

"Before you make any assumptions, let me explain that we are certain he left of his own accord. The charms and wards on the Dursley's home would prevent any witch or wizard outside of the Order seeing, let alone entering the property. Dedalus Diggle has remained there with an extra guard and they are currently investigating the local area to see where Harry might have gone. The reason," he continued, speaking over Sirius when he tried to interrupt, "that I have called you here is that we need to know where he is or where he might have gone. Have any of you received word from him that he was planning on leaving?"

"No," Hermione whispered.

Fred and George shook their heads, and Molly and Remus replied in the negative.

"Sirius?" Dumbledore asked, waiting expectantly.

"No," he growled. "How could you be so careless?"

Gasps of awe and outrage went around the table.

"Do you mean to hold me responsible for Harry's actions?" Dumbledore asked in a cold tone.

"Yes, I do. You claim to be so intelligent and so understanding of him. If you know Harry so well, why couldn't you predict he'd do this sooner or later?" Sirius kicked his chair away from him and came to stand nose to nose with the head of the Order. "You've been keeping him locked up in that house for months every summer. Not a scrap of news; reading our correspondence and telling us what we can and cannot say to him. Surely you- the greatest wizard of our time- could have noticed he was on the verge of breaking. Surely you could recognize he needed to get away from there, to have some semblance of a normal life."

Dumbledore said nothing.

"You can't go locking people up in houses and expect them to stay without a fight. You treat us as if we are nothing more than pieces on a chess board to be moved about and played as you see fit. Well," Sirius took a step back, "seems to me your key player has gone rogue."

With that, Sirius stalked out of the room, slamming the front door as he left the house. Dumbledore sat with a sigh and no one spoke for a long time, each deep in their own thoughts. The minutes ticked by and then Snape stepped forward and placed a hand on the headmaster's shoulder. Blue eyes met black and for one moment, the air became thick with tension.

"Go," Dumbledore said. "Find out all that you can."

The potion's master nodded and swept from the room. All eyes followed him, each vaguely aware that he must have been called by Lord Voldemort, but unsure of what information he would find. After he disappeared, Remus leaned back in his chair and asked, "What can we do?"

"Examine every word you've received from Harry. Remember every place he said he's ever wanted to go. Inform me if you hear anything from him. Molly, please speak with Ronald and Ginevra. Ask them if they've heard anything." He paused. "That's all for tonight."

Slowly, Fred, George and their parents followed Dumbledore from the room. The others talked quietly at the table for a few minutes before they too left- all except Remus. He stood quietly for a moment, examining the room before walked to the chair Sirius had overturned.

"We have a guest bedroom if you'd like to stay the night," Hermione whispered.

Remus stayed quiet for a minute. "Hermione, I don't know that-"

"Please," she begged, eyes glistening with tears. "I've never seen him like this. I don't- how do I- tell me what to do. Please…"

Pulling the chair upright, he gripped the back for a moment before coming to kneel before Hermione. He gripped her hands in his and made her look at him. "You know, Harry and Sirius are very much alike. They've always had a knack for getting into trouble, but they always get themselves out. I thought you'd know that better than anyone." Remus winked at her.

She gave him a teary smile. "I'm scared," she said.

"Me too, Hermione." He gave her a brief, friendly hug and pulled away. "I'll stay tonight. As it is, the Ministry's recent ruling on werewolf legislation has made it rather hard for me to get a job, let alone housing. I'd be in your debt if you'd let me stay long enough to figure things out."

"Stay as long as you want to, Remus." She stood and looked around anxiously. "Would you like some coffee? I made a pot earlier; I could have it heated up in a moment."

Remus smiled and said, "That would be lovely."

He moved to a stool at the kitchen island and watched as Hermione started fiddling with the stove. Carefully, he examined her movement and expression, looking for any sign at all that things were getting better or worse for her. Earlier that evening, he had remembered seeing her with a faint blush in her cheeks. She had retained that throughout the meeting and she seemed better now that she was moving about the kitchen. More than anything she seemed distracted, _But_, he told himself, _who wouldn't be after what happened tonight. I wonder when Sirius-_

"Remus?"

The werewolf jumped and focused upon Hermione's curious expression. She was holding a mug of coffee out to him, head cocked to one side.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"How do you take your coffee?"

"Oh," he paused for a moment. "Just a little sugar. Thank you," he said as she passed him the sugar bowl.

She leaned against the counter for a moment, twisting a strand of hair around her finger. Remus noticed her glancing out the kitchen window every few seconds. He had never been so tempted to figure out what she was thinking. As her professor, he'd always wondered how her brain worked- her thought processes that allowed her to write such creative answers and essays and how she was able to produce such advanced magic at her young age. Hermione truly was the most talented witch he'd ever met and he wondered exactly what was going on in that brain of hers.

"Remus?" she asked, staring at the spot where the sun had just gone down, "where do you think Harry went?"

Remus shook his head. "I have no idea. I suppose somewhere he'd heard about but never had the chance to go. Somewhere exciting, although maybe he's trying to find a way to the Burrow."

Hermione hummed in thought. "I'm not so sure he'd go to the Weasley's. He must be anxious for company, but I'm certain he's realized that if he went there he'd be locked up just as much as if he'd stayed with his aunt and uncle. I wonder-" she stopped herself and shook her head. "I don't know. I'm tired I suppose. Would you like to see your room?"

Nodding, he followed her up the stairs. Just as they reached the landing, Hermione opened the door to her right. The walls were light sea foam green with a window facing the front of the hosue. All of the bedding was bright white and simple as was the furniture- a wardrobe to the left of the door, a chest at the end of the bed and a small nightstand. This had been her grandparent's room. They'd had simple tastes and wanted everything in their home to be bright and clean.

"This is perfect, Hermione," Remus said. "Thank you."

Smiling, she pointed down the hall. "That's Sirius's room. Mine is on the left and the bathroom is next to you. I'll see you in the morning." She closed the door behind her and slipped into her room. Hermione reached into her wardrobe and pulled out a pair of cotton boxer shorts and a tank top. After she slipped into these, she roughly braided her hair and slipped into bed. Staring at the skylight above, she pondered on Harry and Sirius, worried about where they had gone off to and when they'd get back. Sirius had only been a free man for a little while. What if some ignorant muggle ran into him and tried to cause trouble? Thoughts whirled around in her head, but as the minutes dragged on, they began to slow until the bliss of sleep had almost claimed her. Just as she was about to go under, a loud _bang_ came from downstairs.

Bolting upright, she listened intently for any more noise. When she heard none, she got out of bed and tiptoed to her door. Peering down the hall, she began wondering if she'd just imagined the noise. Remus's door was shut tight and there was no sign that he had woken up. But just to be sure, she carefully made her way down the hall and peered down the steps. When she saw nothing, she took a deep breath and tiptoed to the living room. Over and over, she kept telling herself she must have imagined it. There wasn't a sign that anything had changed; the front door was closed and everything appeared to be right.

With a sigh of relief, Hermione turned to go back up the stairs, but she paused on the bottom step when she heard a faint sobbing from the front of the house. She went to the front door and opened it just a crack, trying to see who it was. Relief swept over her as she recognized Sirius. But her relief was short lived. Something was obviously very wrong. He was sitting huddled against the front of the house underneath the window, face in his hands and shoulders shuddering. Never had she seem him this upset before. Slowly, as not to startle him, she stepped into the night air, shivering as a cool breeze swept over them. When he didn't seem to notice her, she crouched down in front of him and reached out to touch his shoulder. He looked up slowly, eyes red-rimmed and distraught. Faintly, she smelled liquor and realized he must have gone to one of the local pubs to drink.

"Sirius," she began, unsure of what to say.

For the first time she could remember, her mind was blank. Hermione had always been good at fining things to say to people, but she had a niggling in the back of her mind that his drinking, although brought on by Harry's disappearance, wasn't strictly about him. Rather than try to force words, she reacted on her instincts and leaned forward to embrace him. He was tense at first, but after a moment he relaxed and wrapped his arms around her torso. Without thinking, he pulled her into his lap and continued to hug her tightly, grateful for the contact of another human being.

Hermione stayed where she was, mind still completely blank despite a growing heat inside her chest. All she could think to do was return the gesture and wrap her arms more tightly about him. How long they stayed like that, neither of them knew. Only minutes had passed when Remus found them like that on the porch. As he had been getting ready for bed he had seen Sirius stumbling over the sand and heard the clamor Sirius had made when he came up the porch steps, but he knew his best friend so he had decided to wait for several minutes before approaching him. It was never a good thing to surprise Sirius when he became drunk. When he thought he had waited long enough, Remus had crept down the stairs with his wand at the ready, just in case Sirius was still in a vile mood. But as he glanced out the living room window to assess the situation, he realized Sirius wasn't alone. To say he was shocked to see his former student in the arms of his best friend would be an understatement. However, he said nothing and instead chose to observe them for a long time. They never said a word and he soon he thought he heard the slow, even breathing of sleep.

_Sirius,_ Remus thought worriedly, _what's happened to you?_ Tiredly, he grabbed a throw off the back of the living room couch and silently stepped through the door. He observed the two curiously and with apprehension. Sirius had his arms wrapped tightly around Hermione, her head was nestled under his chin and her hands were pressed against his chest. When neither of them woke up, Remus placed the blanket carefully over the two of them and stepped back. Running a hand through his hair, he resigned himself to speaking to Sirius the next morning and trudged uneasily up the stairs to his room.

* * *

Warmth coursed through Sirius as he stirred. He could feel something warm and soft under his fingers and he clutched it tighter, never wanting to let go. Smiling sleepily, he opened his eyes and looked at the creature in his arms. His breath caught as the morning light played off Hermione's light skin and surrounded her in an ethereal glow. At first, all he could do was stare, mesmerized by the calm and peace that radiated from her in sleep, but then the sinking realization of what happened hit him. Last night he had been drunk- angry and helpless over what had happened to Harry, the last of his family. He knew he had acted irrationally when he had yelled at Dumbledore, but he hadn't been able to help releasing some of his pent-up frustration at the man. After he left the house, everything became a blur to him. He barely remembered Hermione coming out to see if he was okay, but how they had ended up asleep holding each other was a mystery. What if he had hurt her…

Sirius cleared his throat, internally warring with his hope that she wouldn't wake up so he could hold her a moment longer and his desire to get away from her. She pressed herself tighter against him and didn't wake. Again, he cleared his throat and ran a finger across her cheek. Slowly, she stirred, turning her face up to look at him.

Hermione smiled and whispered, "Hi."

Despite the situation, Sirius failed to suppress a grin at the lovely expression on her face. "Good morning, kitten."

"Morning?" She looked at him in confusion and then last night came back to her. She gasped and sat up, looking around at the lavender morning light. It was still early enough that the sunlight had yet to reach the crashing waves below.

"Sirius," she began cautiously, "what happened last night? I mean, how did we-" she motioned to him and the blanket.

He shook his head. "I'm sorry, Hermione. I can't remember much about last night. Are you- are you hurt?"

"What?" Hermione looked surprised. She ran her hands over her arms and shook her head. "No, why would you think I would be?"

Looking down at his hands, he shrugged. "I've, uh, I've been told I can be a handful when I'm drunk." He looked up at her, any trace of mirth gone.

"Oh, Sirius," she whispered. She smiled tentatively at him and he smiled back in relief.

Running a hand through his untidy hair, he started laughing. Hermione watched him and couldn't help but laugh too. The situation was perfectly absurd and embarrassing. Sirius got to his feet with a growing awareness of a pounding headache coming on. He held out a hand to help Hermione up and put an arm around her shoulders. "I don't know about you, but I'm in need of some coffee."

"Me too," she said, smiling.

"Good," he grinned as they stepped into the house. "You go and get dressed. I'll have it done in a few minutes."

Hermione bounded upstairs, still grinning widely. When she reached the landing, she ran into Remus who stood there with arms folded and frowning. An irrational fear came over her and her smile disappeared. She murmured an apology as she skirted around him and all but sprinted to her door. When she was safely in her own room, she pressed an ear to the door, listening as each of Remus's footsteps fell heavily against the floorboards. She could hear his low voice grit out Sirius's name when he reached the bottom of the staircase and she knew he must have seen them last night.

She groaned and slapped her forehead. "Great, Granger. Now look what you've done."

* * *

**A/N: **Again, sorry for the huge delay! Life's definitely crazy at the moment. I hope you enjoyed this. Sorry for the roughness, I kept rewriting this and this is about the closest I could get to what I wanted. **R&R!**


	6. What the Water Gave Me

**Baby Girl**

_At the end of Fourth Year, everything changed for the Golden Trio. A year later, the Ministry finally accepts that Voldemort has returned. With Sirius Black a free man, what will happen when rebellion and tragedy strike our hero and heroine?_

**A/N:** Sadly, I do not own anything associated with JK Rowling or the world of Harry Potter (excluding the books and movies). The plot, as well as any original characters, is mine.

**Chapter Soundtrack: **There She Goes- The La's, Call You Out- Flyleaf, What the Water Gave Me- Florence + the Machine

* * *

"Sirius," Remus called.

"In here, Moony."

"What on earth are you doing?" Remus asked, arms folded over his chest.

"I'm making Hermione coffee. She likes a lot of whipped cream," he explained without looking up, plopping a heaping spoonful into a blue mug.

"Where did you go last night?"

Sirius glanced briefly up at his friend before focusing on the task at hand. "I went to a local pub. I needed some air."

"You couldn't get it on the porch? Or even the beach?"

"No," Sirius growled. "I wanted to get as far away from Dumbledore as I could."

"What about Hermione?"

"What about her?"

Remus groaned.

"What Remus," he asked in irritation, chucking the spoon into the sink rather forcefully and turning to glare at him.

"This is exactly what I meant! What are you doing, Sirius?"

"What are you trying to getting at?" Sirius said, leaning forward and forcing Remus to look him in the eye.

"You slept with Hermione!"

"You say that like we... Oh, no. No, no, no, no, how could you EVER think I'd do that to her. She's underage. She's Harry's best friend. Last night was an accident. I got drunk- I was upset. She came outside and it... It just happened, ok?"

"Like is _'just happened'_ with Becky?"

"Don't you dare bring her into this!" Sirius roared. "These are completely different situations and you know it! How could you insinuate I would even consider something like that with Hermione? Nothing happened."

Remus clenched his fists, trying to get a hold of his temper. "Fine, Sirius. I'll take your word on that, but answer me one question."

Sirius raised an eyebrow.

"What do you feel for her?"

Sirius stared at his best friend. "I am not talking about this anymore."

"Say it. Say you don't feel anything-"

"She saved my life! She's saved me over and over again. She's done nothing but protect me and Harry and you expect me to be a heartless monster and ignore her? I made a promise to her mother that I would take care of her and I will not break that promise."

"Then you admit you feel something."

"You're jumping to conclusions, Remus."

Remus stepped back, breathing deeply. "You're right, I'm sorry. But last night-"

"Nothing happened. I can promise you that. Ask her if you don't believe me."

The werewolf shook his head. "No, I trust you. I'm a guest here; I should never have said those things. You must understand," he said looking up, "she's the best student I've ever had. I care great deal about her welfare and as it is, I don't think she could handle being lead on by you, intentionally or no."

Sirius nodded stiffly. "I understand, Remus."

Remus looked his friend up and down for a moment and seemed satisfied. "Alright. I have some things to do for Dumbledore, but I should be back around noon." Sirius sighed and nodded, leaning back against the sink and running a hand through his hair as his friend turned and disappeared through the front door.

Just as he disappeared, Hermione appeared halfway down the stairs, breathless and hair a frizzy mess. When she saw that Remus was no longer there, she smiled in relief and happily trotted down the remainder of the steps.

"Everything ok?" she asked.

"Yeah," Sirius laughed. "Just a little misunderstanding is all."

They smiled at each other and he pushed her mug toward her with a flourish. "One cup of coffee with a heaping dollop of whipped cream!"

Hermione shook her head in amusement. She sat at the island and went to take a sip when she realized Sirius had spaced off. His expression, although still smiling, held something in it that looked a lot like worry and confusion. His gaze was unfocused and his shoulders were unusually tense. Biting her lip, Hermione held the mug in her hands, soaking in its warmth. Obviously something had been said that had Sirius on edge. He could so easily brush off things people like Professor Snape or Moody might say, but when it came to Remus or Harry, he always took it to heart. The longer Hermione watched him, the more his brow became furrowed in thought. A crease appeared between his eyes and she longed to reach out and smooth it.

Suddenly a light bulb turned on and she grinned to herself. Tearing her gaze away from the man, she cleared her throat louder than necessary and took a sip of her coffee. When the mug came away from her mouth, Sirius found a full-fledged mustache on her upper lip and couldn't help but laugh.

_Yes!_ Hermione thought, grinning like a mad man.

Sirius's steel eyes twinkled and his shoulders lost some of their tenseness. He came around the island to stand next to her and ruffled her hair. "You seem in a much better mood this morning."

"Mhm," she replied, resting her chin on her hand and watching him intently.

"I'd better get cleaned up." He smiled broadly and then a curious expression came over his face. He paused and raised his right hand and ran a thumb across her lip to remove the cream.

Bright red suddenly bloomed in Hermione's cheeks and she dropped her gaze. He too felt his heart speed up and he shifted back awkwardly. He opened his mouth to explain his sudden impulse, to say anything just to break the ice when she beat him to the punch.

"Go clean up," she said, "I'll get a proper breakfast together."

He would never admit it, but he had never been so grateful to get away from her. Trying not to look hasty, Sirius nodded and walked quickly out of the kitchen and headed toward his goal- the shower. He closed the bathroom door behind him and turned the water on to heat up. He started pulling his shirt from last night off and as he did so, Hermione's scent of lemongrass and something floral brought him to a halt. Sirius inhaled deeply and leaned against the counter, trying to steady his nerves.

"You fool," he said, glaring at his reflection. But no matter how he berated himself mentally, he couldn't help feeling satisfaction as he thought back to how she had blushed in the kitchen and how beautiful her smile had been when she woke up that morning in his arms. Sirius rubbed his hands over his face, trying to get her intoxicating smell out of his mind. When his fingers brushed his cheek, he became aware of a thick amount of stubble and examined himself.

_You know,_ said an annoying voice in the back of his mind, _if you're going to be a fool about it, you might as well make yourself presentable. _He shook his head, groaning loudly. "Remus is going to kill me," he whispered.

* * *

After Sirius left Hermione had remained where she was seated for a few moments, trying not to think about what happened. His expression had reminded her of something that had happened last summer shortly after Harry arrived at 12 Grimmauld Place, something she hadn't realized she still remembered.

_Harry was thoroughly upset. Shortly after his arrival in the room he would share with Ron, he started shouting angrily. Hermione wasn't that shocked by this, but it still hurt. During dinner he'd finally got some answers, but he was still unsatisfied. Now, Hermione was listening to Ginny's slow breathing, mind whirling with everything that Harry had said. He was so angry and he looked so disappointed in them. She rolled onto her side, trying to get more comfortable and let sleep claim her, but she couldn't get his voice out of her head. And then another voice came into her head- a deeper voice. It was accompanied by a pair of steel blue eyes and a calloused hand as it ran the length of her jaw. She was in his room, pressed against his door as they listened to Molly's angry footsteps fading down the stairs. She had reached out to touch him and- heat surged in her and she sat up in bed, fully embarrassed by the path her thoughts were taking her down. _

Library_, her mind screamed. What better than the library to distract her tired mind. After all, that must be why her mind was so haywire right now. Maybe if she could distract herself for a while she would be able to forget and sleep more easily. With this in mind, she slipped out of bed, careful not to wake Ginny as she padded down the hall to her favorite room in the house. _

"_Hermione, what are you doing up this late?"_

_Hermione jumped when she heard her name and looked around wildly. Sirius was sprawled on an overstuffed sofa, shirtless, before a dying fire. He had a book in one hand and a glass firewhiskey in the other. The man was staring at her with a raised eyebrow and she realized that she had been gaping, mouth slightly open. Closing her mouth, she muttered something about not being able to sleep and made to leave the room._

"_Stop worrying so much, kitten. Harry is fine. He's a bit upset by the lack of information, but now that he's here we can fix that." He stared at her for another moment before turning his gaze to the fire. _

"_How do you know it was Harry I was worrying about? And how do you intend to fix his problems?" Hermione asked critically, folding her arms across her chest, taking a step back into the room._

_Before answering, Sirius took a large gulp of his drink. "Well, you always worry about him. All last year you sent me those cryptic little notes about what he was or wasn't doing. Now you pace around the house, researching the Daily Prophet and laws on underage magic, trying to figure out how to stop him from being expelled. For Merlin's sake, Hermione, you're worse than Lilly when he first started to crawl. Never let him out of her sight- oh don't look at me like that." Hermione was glaring at him and had let out a huff of frustration. "You have to trust that Dumbledore and the Order know what they are doing. They won't just leave Harry to fend for himself. He's safe here."_

"_He was supposed to be safe at his aunt and uncle's!"_

"_I know, Hermione, but he is surrounded by Order members here. He can't leave the house and no one knows where we are. Everything is going to be okay, really."_

_Sirius looked back at Hermione now and found that her angry expression had fallen into that of worry and fear. She was avoiding looking at him and he could tell that there was something else on her mind. Her arms were wrapped tightly around her middle and she was biting her lip anxiously. Setting his now empty glass down, he rose to his feet and walked toward the young girl. She took a step back and ran into a shelf. She would have no way of escape if he took just one step forward, but luckily for her he didn't. _

"_What else is worrying you, love?"_

_Hermione found herself looking from the doorway back to him, wanting to run yet feeling more inclined than ever to stay right where she was. _

"_Hermione?"_

"_I- uhm- nothing's worrying me. I'm fine. Just couldn't sleep. That's all," she whispered._

_He remained silent for a moment and then reached forward. Her breath hitched, and he paused before retracting his hand. His expression was unreadable and he took a step back. _

The young witch nearly jumped out of her skin when there came a loud bang from upstairs. She jumped up from her seat and ran to the top of the stairs. Banging on the bathroom door she called, "Sirius! Are you alright?"

"Fine, love!" came the muffled call. "Just fine. Slipped."

Biting her lip to keep from laughing, Hermione stepped away from the door and returned to the kitchen. She chuckled as she pulled bacon, eggs and some bread out of the fridge before setting a large skillet on the stove top. Merrily she made both scrambled and over-easy eggs for herself and Sirius, respectively and got to work on a pan full of sizzling bacon. By the time the toast was finished and she had begun plating, Sirius showed up clean shaven and rubbing at his backside.

"I thought I was supposed to be the clumsy one," Hermione laughed.

He rolled his eyes and pulled his plate toward him, unable to help smiling.

* * *

Three days had passed since the night Dumbledore had informed the Order of Harry's disappearance. So far, it appeared there had been no leads. Several times, Hermione, Sirius and Ron had each tried to contact Harry, but their owls always returned with their own letters and notes attached. They all were growing frustrated and couldn't find any indication in any previous letters of his whereabouts. In a few hours was an Order meeting and they all crossed their fingers that Dedalus or Dumbledore may have found something that they would present that night.

Molly Weasley had written to Hermione a day ago and had agreed to bring Ginny and Ron with her for a visit. Hermione was excited to see her friends, but she was sure Ron would try to squeeze her for information since she was now living at headquarters. Unfortunately for him, she had no intention of revealing any information she had and as it was, she had nothing. There had been no meetings within the last few days.

As of now, she was trying to clear her head before the Weasley's arrival. It was likely they would show up earlier than expected if Ginny and Ron were as anxious to see her as their mother claimed. Hermione was sitting right at the water's edge, wearing a light cotton sundress and soaking in as much sun as she could. She was covered in sand and waved brightly as Remus came out to join her.

"Enjoying yourself?" he asked.

"Immensely," she replied, leaning her head back and smiling at the sun.

He chuckled and leaned back against the sand, glancing at her occasionally. There was a reason he had come out to join her, but was still trying to work up the courage to talk to her about it. As it was, she was well aware that he had come out to talk to her and decided to try and help him along.

"I don't think you came out here to get a tan," she said smiling.

"Hmm?" he looked up at her and felt some relief when he saw her smile. "No, you're right. There were a couple things I wanted to talk to you about."

She looked expectantly at him when he paused. He took a deep breath and began.

"First things first, I was curious about Harry."

Hermione looked puzzled and he continued.

"We all know why he would leave his aunt and uncle's, but in any normal circumstance, I imagine he would have contacted one of us by now or took the Knight Bus to the Burrow. It just seems odd that we've heard nothing from him, yet Severus hasn't heard a word suggesting the Death Eaters are even aware that he's disappeared."

"What are you thinking?" Hermione asked, sitting forward.

"Well," Remus paused, "is there a chance he could have met up with someone? Maybe someone from school?"

"Like a girl?"

Remus nodded.

"I- Well I don't know. I suppose there was one girl…" she drifted off as she remembered a letter she had received from Amina only a day after the disappearance. The Ravenclaw had mentioned something about going to Blackpool but had neither mentioned who she was going with or for how long, only that she was going to meet up with a friend was ecstatic about it.

"Who is the girl?"

Hermione looked guiltily into Remus's golden eyes and looked away. "I don't want to cause suspicion. If it turns out to be a false lead, it could cause so much more trouble for both of them."

"Who?"

She opened and closed her mouth several times before whispering, "She's a Ravenclaw. At the end of last year, after Harry and Cho broke up, they started meeting in the library. He said that she was only helping him get ready for his OWLs and he didn't like her like that but-"

"Hermione, who is it? This may be our only chance to find him." Remus grabbed her arm and made her look at him.

"I-"

At that exact moment, an obnoxious rumbling filled the air and Hermione used that to her advantage. She bolted up and ran across the beach toward the car port to find out what was making such a ruckus. Remus tried to go after her, but when he recognized Sirius sitting on a rather large, shiny motorcycle, he thought better of it. He might not know the name of the girl, but he could certainly write a note telling the headmaster of the information he had. That at least might give them somewhere to start.

* * *

"Remus! How are you?" Molly asked, directing Ron and Ginny to head toward the house as she struggled through the sand.

The man in question nodded and offered a hand in assistance. "I'm well, how are you? Is Arthur coming?"

"Yes, dear. He's coming with Mad-Eye. Is Hermione in the house? Ron and Ginny are anxious to see her."

Remus frowned and shook his head. "She went off about an hour ago. I told her they were coming, so I'm certain she'll be back shortly."

Molly marched off in irritation, leaving Remus to watch as she hustled her children up the stairs and began talking about fixing dinner. He could hear Ginny ask about Hermione and Ron's grunt of irritation when his mother explained.

As Remus debated following the Weasleys inside the house, Hermione and Sirius were cruising back to the beach. His heart was racing as the wind rushed passed them. It had been years since he'd been on a motorcycle and he'd almost forgot how much he had loved it. When Hermione had rushed over to him, he half expected her to berate him but instead she had asked for him to get her out of there. He asked about her friends and she said if they left now they could be back in plenty of time. It really hadn't involved too much persuasion on his part. Sirius was more than willing to show off his new toy, so with that he had handed her the helmet and sped out of the carport with her clinging tightly to his waist.

At first, Hermione had been tense and anxious, but the longer the wind beat against her face, the easier it became to breathe. She wasn't upset at Remus, but his questioning had startled her and she prayed that his theory wasn't correct. Unfortunately, she agreed that that was the most likely scenario. The implications that would have for her friends were terrifying and Hermione couldn't bear to dwell on them at the moment. The stress of finding Harry and having to see Ron for the first time in weeks was too much. For only a moment, she didn't want to think. She wanted to be reckless and selfish so she had begged Sirius for escape. He didn't question her motives. That's what she liked about him. He trusted her- he listened. The rumble of the bike told her this was exactly what she needed.

Waves crashed below them as they sped through town toward the beach house. They had been driving around town and the marina for almost an hour and Hermione had reluctantly agreed that they ought to head back. Quickly, the picket fence came into view and all too soon Sirius pulled into the carport. She hopped off quickly, and pulled the helmet off.

"Thanks, Sirius," she said with a smile.

He winked at her. "Any time, love."

Hermione handed him the helmet as he got off and together they picked their way through the brush surrounding the house. The aroma of cooking sausages and potatoes surrounded them as they ascended the stairs. Sirius opened the door for Hermione and followed her into the living room. She was immediately descended upon by Ginny and Ron, the latter asking several questions without giving her a moment to respond.

Sirius laughed. "I'll leave you to it, Hermione. I'm going to see what Molly's whipping up."

Hermione glared, which only made Sirius laugh harder as he slipped into the kitchen.

* * *

**A/N:** As I write this, the 7th chapter is halfway done. I hope you all enjoyed this! Please review, even if it's just a smiley or a frowny face. Any kind of feedback helps my inspiration. :)


	7. Potentially Problematic

**Baby Girl**

_At the end of Fourth Year, everything changed for the Golden Trio. A year later, the Ministry finally accepts that Voldemort has returned. With Sirius Black a free man, what will happen when rebellion and tragedy strike our hero and heroine?_

**A/N:** Sadly, I do not own anything associated with JK Rowling or the world of Harry Potter (excluding the books and movies). The plot, as well as any original characters, is mine.

**Chapter Soundtrack: **Domino- Jesse J., Shh- Imogen Heap, We Found Love- Rihanna, The Howling- Within Temptation

* * *

Amina screamed as the air rushed passed them. She held her arms above her head and was grinning from ear to ear. She looked over at Harry who was smiling almost as big as her. The cart rose swiftly up the hill and flew down, twisting tightly before slowing down and entering a tunnel covered with bright lights and blaring loud music. Lines of muggles waited behind metal arms as Harry, Amina and the others in their train wobbled to the opposite platform. Harry gripped Amina tightly when she tripped on the metal lip and they burst into fits of laughter. She leaned into him and he led her down the ramp, picking up her pack and handing it to her.

"How is it," Amina started breathlessly as they walked down a narrow lane, "that you've never been on a rollercoaster?"

Harry shook his head. "My aunt and uncle never bothered taking me since Dudley didn't like them. They tried not to take me anywhere fun so my cousin wouldn't get jealous."

The girl's dark eyes frowned. "Well, that's just stupid. I mean, shouldn't you have had some fun growing up? Who did they think they were supposed to be? Jailers?"

Harry shrugged and looked away. He kept walking but he was yanked back sharply.

"Amina?" Harry asked in confusion as she stared open-mouthed at something before them. He followed her gaze and laughed. "Come on, you," he said, gripping her hand more tightly and leading her to the end of the line so they could ride in giant white teacups.

The pair spent hours going on rollercoasters and stopping at booths to eat. Amina was so enamored with one in particular that served funnel cakes that Harry went back to buy her a second one before she'd managed to finish her first. He was drawn to her excitement over the smallest things. Every time her eyes lit up with curiosity at some new muggle contraption Harry found himself laughing and feeling lighter than ever before. She asked endless questions about how the rides worked without magic and would easily get distracted by something she hadn't previously noticed. With every question she asked and every time she started dancing to the muggle music, Harry found he couldn't take his eyes off of her. He had long been aware that there was something peculiar about her- it was something in the way she looked at him and the way she spoke to him the first time in fourth year, as if she'd personally known him for years.

Harry remembered that day vividly. Ron was horribly upset with him about getting into the Tri Wizard Tournament and Hermione wasn't in such a good mood having been torn between who she was supposed to support. They had received a nasty potions essay and in an attempt to find Hermione and beg for her help, Harry had decided to go to the library. To his dismay, Hermione wasn't there. Harry was just about to leave when he heard his name from behind. He turned to find an unfamiliar girl waving to him from a couple tables away. Although confused, he went forward and said hello.

"_You're looking for Hermione, aren't you?" she asked. Before he could respond, she continued. "Last I heard she went down to Hagrid's. She seemed rather frustrated this morning."_

"_Um, yeah. I needed some help on my essay."_

"_Potions?" she smiled knowingly and he nodded._

_She cleared off a section at her table and indicated for him to sit next to her. He sat slowly and was surprised when she immediately held out her hand._

"_Amina Renaud, Ravenclaw. I'm in Arithmancy with Hermione."_

Weeks had passed like that- Harry looking for Hermione and finding Amina instead. She always sat at the same table, on occasion oblivious to him as she bent over long rolls of parchment, her long dark curls often falling into her face. She would push them back in annoyance and then grin as she spotted Harry standing there with his books and quills. Even after Ron had come around again, he found himself looking for Amina's company. She was far less surly than Ron and she could easily make him laugh whilst helping him with his schoolwork which was a feat Hermione never had managed. Although she was a Ravenclaw, she wasn't nearly so anal about what she handed in as her housemates or even Hermione. These meetings lasted all through fourth year and he never bothered to mention it to Hermione or Ron to avoid offending them. In fifth year once he was banned from the Gryffindor quidditch team, he found himself returning to the library and the two of them would study together for their OWLs. Often, Amina and Harry would find themselves discussing defensive spells for the DA, completely forgetting their class assignments. She never did join Dumbledore's Army, but as Harry found out over the summer, she knew what they were up to and had laid false trails for Inquisitorial Squad when Umbridge had started snooping around trying to find the place where Harry was teaching the others.

When he started going out with Cho after Christmas, he was shocked to realize he missed his time in the library. Cho only ever wanted to discuss Cedric and he found himself quickly losing interest in her. She was beautiful, yes, and she loved quidditch, but she rarely laughed and he found himself becoming irritable whenever they spent time together. Even before the incident with Marietta, Harry had finally had enough of his crush and had decided to end it. When it had happened, he had never felt so relieved. Easily, he returned to his normal routine with Amina. When Ron and Hermione had inquired as to where he was going, he had told them that a Ravenclaw in their year was helping him study for his OWLs. Ron seemed irritated, but didn't bring it up again. Hermione, however, had pressed him for more details. When he explained who it was, she had seemed surprised, but pleasantly so. Apparently the two girls often sat next to each other in Arithmancy and got on very well. Hermione even said that they had spent most of the Yule Ball together with Victor and some of his classmates.

Thinking back to the Yule Ball, Harry pushed passed the memory of being jealous of Cho and Cedric and a forgotten one filled its place. When he had first seen Hermione that night, he hadn't realized it was her. She looked beautiful and so much more mature than she appeared in normal school robes. Partly because of Ron, but also because of friendly curiosity, he had kept an eye on Hermione throughout the night. He watched as Hermione twirled around the floor with Victor and the other Durmstrang boys. When the band had begun to play louder, faster songs, he noticed her dancing in a group with one other girl. The girl was dressed in red silk dress robes with her hair tightly curled. He had only recognized her during a pause between songs when she turned in his direction and waved, grinning broadly before she was swept into a waltz with-

"Harry."

Harry jumped and found the girl from his memory standing before him with a bemused expression.

"Sorry?"

Amina laughed. "Are you ok? You've been staring off into space for nearly ten minutes."

"Sorry," Harry said while running a hand through his untidy hair. "I was just thinking."

"Of?" Amina asked, putting her arm through his and pulling him away from the park and toward the cooling sand.

He paused for a moment before admitting, "I was thinking about the Yule Ball."

"Oh?" she sounded surprised. "Any part in particular?"

He looked away uncomfortably before blurting out, "You danced with Igor Karkaroff."

She was silent as they walked a few meters closer to the rushing waves before replying, "So I did."

"Why?"

Amina laughed a little before saying, "Oh, Harry, he's been a- an acquaintance of my father's for years. He was merely asking me how Dad was doing and to pass on his regards. Besides, he's always had a habit of flirting with younger girls. If you had paid attention you would have realized he danced with half of the Beauxbaton girls."

"But he's a Death Eater-"

"He _was_ a Death Eater, Harry." She stopped and made him turn to face her. "He defected after the first war and what's it matter anymore? Karkaroff is gone. For all we know, Voldemort caught up to him and killed him." Amina said this all very matter-of-fact.

"How did your father know him?"

She seemed caught off guard and shrugged her shoulders. "Dad said something about meeting shortly after school. Karkaroff took him under his wing and they became business associates for a time. He never fully explained."

Harry longed to push her for more answers about her father, but he could tell this subject wasn't something she wanted to discuss right then.

"Sorry." Gripping her hand tightly, he tried to smile and asked where she wanted to go next.

With relief she gestured around them. "Why not right here? I know it's not for another week, but I wanted to give you your birthday present in person."

Amina pulled him down to the sand and made him sit next to her while she rummaged in her pack. In a quick second, she had pulled out a small roll of parchment tied with a black ribbon. She handed it to him and watched anxiously to gauge his reaction.

Harry's breath caught as he stared at the hand drawing of none other than his mother. She looked just as she had in the memory he had stumbled upon while taking Occlumency lessons with Snape. She was grinning and her eyes sparkled; there was a barely concealed, mischievous tilt to her mouth which he found intruiging.

"She's so young. How did you...?"

"I found a picture of her lying around years ago and I thought she was beautiful. After I got to know you, I figured out who she was and thought you might like to have a little bit of her with you."

"This," Harry motioned to the parchment, "this is perfect. Thank you." He gripped her hands in his and leaned forward slowly to place a kiss on her cheek.

She looked at him, flushing brightly before saying, "Well, that was unexpected."

He gazed at her intently, analyzing her ever expression and warmth coursed through him. It started in the pit of his stomach, almost like the glow of embers. But as he sat there, it quickly burst into flames that whipped up his spine and down to the tips of his fingers. He knew she liked him as a friend, but he was beginning to realize he liked her so much more than that and he hoped she felt the same. Admitting this to himself caused a deep stirring in his chest, almost as if a dragon had come to life inside of him. Harry leaned forward, breathing in her scent of freesia and apples before dipping his head and softly pressing his lips to hers.

Amina froze. The moment they touched a dizzying headiness coursed through her, causing her to gasp. When he heard this, Harry pulled back slightly, quickly brushing his lips over hers one more time before looking into her eyes and asking, "Was that bad?"

The girl shook her head. "That was perfect" Her cheeks turned bright red, so much so that Harry could just make out her blush in the dark evening. He grinned, leaning down to kiss her again before a strong hand yanked him to his feet. Harry drew his wand, but before he could turn to fight his assailant he was flung backward.

"Amina, run!" Harry yelled, but the girl was frozen in place, watching as a man cloaked in all black swept toward her.

Tears streaked down her face and she began shaking her head. The figure gripped her arm tightly before turning and throwing a sneer in Harry's direction. He was shocked and angry as he recognized his potions professor. Scrambling to his feet, Harry made to lunge at the man but was held back by none other than Albus Dumbledore. Before either Amina or Harry had time to register why these men were there, both were pulled into a crushing darkness.

When his feet landed on solid ground, Harry pulled away from his headmaster and demanded, "Where did he take her?"

The old man frowned. "I'm very disappointed in you, Harry. After everything we discussed, why would you recklessly put yourself in harm's way?"

"How could you let him take her away? He's a Death Eater!" Harry screamed, falling into softer sand than the beach he had previously been on. He barely registered this difference, for he was staring at his mentor with a mix of hatred and despair. "Answer me!"

"Professor Snape has proved himself to me time and again. No harm will come to Miss Renaud. Now we must get inside before we discuss this further."

Harry looked around himself to find that he was on a small hill overlooking a large white house only a short distance away. "Where are we?" he asked feebly.

"The headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix. Grimmauld Place was no longer safe for our use, so Miss Granger offered up her grandparent's home." Dumbledore motioned for Harry to follow as he made his way toward the home.

As they reached the bottom of the porch stairs, Harry recognized the faces of his friends and godfather who were staring at him in shock. Before getting to the front door, Sirius had embraced him tightly.

"Where have you been?"

Looking around at the anxiety on his family's faces caused his mouth to go dry. He swallowed thickly and stepped out of his godfather's arms and into the home, head down. Sirius, Hermione, Ron, Ginny and Mrs. Weasley all trailed behind him into the living room. Dumbledore stood in the middle of the room and waited for the door to close before starting.

"Harry, I would like you to explain what you've been doing for the last three days. How did you get away from your aunt and uncle's without being noticed or followed?"

The boy remained silent.

Sirius stepped forward, placing a hand on his godson's shoulder. "Where have you been?" he asked again quietly.

Harry looked from his headmaster to his godfather and back, defiance bright in his eyes.

"I went out."

"You could have been killed!" Molly exclaimed. "We've been so worried about you! What if the Death Eaters had found you?"

Harry ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "Yeah, well I wasn't killed. I don't see why you were all so worried about my disappearing anyway. You don't seem to show any worry when I'm at my aunt and uncle's, losing my mind because I haven't had a scrap of news in three weeks! It's the same every year and I've had enough. I've had enough of these games! I want out. I want it to end." His voice cracked and he collapsed onto the sofa, putting his head in his hands. "For the first time, I finally felt normal. I was happy." He looked into Dumbledore's bright blue eyes. "Why couldn't you let us be? How did you find us?"

"I hardly think that matters," came a voice from the entrance. All heads turned to the door to find Professor Snape had just entered. He swept into the living room and joined the headmaster's side.

"Where did you take her?" Harry asked, his fury returning instantaneously.

"She is no concern of yours, Potter."

"I could say the same of you!"

"Do not talk back to me-"

"Don't you dare talk to my godson like that, Snivellus," Sirius roared, stepping in-between Harry and the potions master.

"And I suppose this was all your idea, Black? I can't believe he would be so foolish as to come up with something like that on his own. Perhaps you put the idea into his head."

"What are you going on about?" Sirius asked. "What's he done to you?"

"Sirius, Severus, please sit down." Dumbledore placed a hand on both of their shoulders. The look he gave them quelled their arguing.

Sirius sat next to Harry and Snape went to stand with arms folded near the fireplace. Dumbledore looked toward Mrs. Weasley and said, "Molly, I think it may be best to take your children home for the evening. No doubt Arthur will be waiting for you."

The red-haired matriarch clearly bit her tongue as she fought the urge to protest. She rested a hand on Harry's shoulder before waving for Ron and Ginny to follow her outside to the apparition point. Each was unusually silent, throwing curious glances at the others as they left the house. When they were out of sight, Dumbledore glanced at Hermione who stood behind Harry and Sirius and asked her tiredly, "I trust that you can remain silent about what we discuss here?"

"Of course," she answered meekly.

Dumbledore nodded to himself then turned his gaze once more upon Harry. "Harry, what have you been doing?"

The black haired boy looked around the room, throat tight as he again recognized anxiety and worry on his godfather's and best friend's faces. With resignation he explained, "I've been in Blackpool. A few days ago I got fed up and called a taxi. I snuck out in the middle of the night and met the taxi a few streets from my uncle's and had them take me to a motel close to the beach."

"How exactly did you get out of the house without being seen?"

Harry remained blank, and the headmaster guessed at his use of his father's invisibility cloak. Nodding to himself, he asked, "How long was Amina with you?"

"Since this morning."

"Why were you together? Why didn't you ask Hermione or Ron to meet you?"

"I-," he shook his head, "I don't know. I hadn't heard anything from Hermione and I knew Ron wouldn't be able to get away. Amina was the only one that kept in contact and she mentioned that she had always wanted to go to Pleasure Beach so we met up this morning."

"Did anything happen between the two of you?" Dumbledore's voice was very direct and caught Harry off guard.

"What?" He looked at the headmaster in confusion.

"You kissed her," Snape hissed. He stepped in front of Dumbledore and leaned close to Harry. "What else did you do to her?"

"Wha- I didn't. Nothing happened. It was just a ki-"

"Do not lie to me, Potter!" Snape grabbed the front of Harry's t-shirt and started pulling him from his seat.

Sirius growled and pushed his old nemesis off of his godson, yelling obscenities as Harry cried out in his defense.

"I'm not lying! I swear nothing happened!"

"Severus! Control yourself! Now is not the time or place for this."

Snape glared at Dumbledore. "How can you say that? You saw how he was touching-"

"Nothing happened!" Harry exclaimed, pushing his godfather out of his way and standing up to his most hated professor. "I would never do anything to her. I love Amina. We kissed, that's all."

Snape went very still, eyes glinting dangerously.

Sirius placed a hand on Harry's shoulder, preventing him from getting any closer Snape. "Headmaster, I think we're done for tonight. We can discuss this all later."

"I agree," Dumbledore said, directing his gaze as Snape who shrank back to the fireplace. "I'll be back tomorrow morning. Harry, before I leave I must stress to you how foolish your actions were. Not only did you put yourself in danger, but you put a fellow student in danger. Death Eaters could have easily found and killed you both."

Harry's shoulders slumped. "Yes, sir."

Dumbledore stood and left the room, quickly followed by Snape. When they were gone, Harry sunk back into the sofa, staring at the roll of parchment still tucked in his hand. "I'm sorry, Sirius."

The animagus turned to his godson and crouched before him. "It's all over now. I can't say I'm very impressed with what you did, but to be honest I don't care about that anymore. I'm just glad you're safe."

"I didn't mean to cause so much trouble. I just wanted to get away from there. I wanted freedom."

Sirius gazed at his best friend's son. "I know what you mean, Harry. Believe me. I know better than most."

Harry nodded and continued to stare at his hands. Noticing this, Hermione asked, "What's that you've got?"

"This?" Harry held up the paper. "Amina gave it to me for my birthday. Here," he said, handing it to Sirius.

Sirius had to do a double take as he gazed at the image of the young woman. "She drew this?"

Harry nodded.

"It looks just like I remember her." He turned the scroll around to show Hermione. She nodded in approval.

"Your mother was very beautiful."

"Thanks," Harry whispered, taking the portrait back. He stared at the fire, his face contorting with anger and confusion. "You know what I don't understand? Why does Snape care so much about Amina and what happens to her? He's never cared about any of us. Why her?"

Hermione glanced at Sirius before offering, "She is his favorite student. I heard he even offered to take her on as his apprentice this year."

"But she's in Ravenclaw."

Hermione shrugged, unable to think of a satisfactory explanation.

"Sometimes, I think there's something going on with them. Hermione, you've seen how they talk to each other at school. It's not normal. And you _both_ saw how he reacted when he thought- when he accused me of-" he stopped himself and shook his head as if to clear his mind. "I don't understand it. Sometimes he acts as if he's her…" he drifted off, his eyes darkening as if he found the piece to a long agonized over puzzle.

"Hermione, Amina danced with Karkaroff at the Yule Ball."

The bookworm frowned. "Yeah, she said he was asking about her dad or something."

Harry nodded. "She told me that her dad and Karkaroff met sometime after he got out of school- that they became very close business associates. Hermione, Karkaroff wasn't the only one to defect during the first war."

The bushy haired witch stared at Harry's exhausted features and if finally clicked. She breathed in sharply, staring at the boy before her. He put his face in his hands, letting out a moan of despair.

"What is it?" Sirius asked.

Hermione answered softly. "Snape… he's Amina's father."

* * *

**A/N: **Sorry it's taken me so long! I really did have this almost done with the last chapter, then it decided to rewrite itself. I hope you liked it! A little different from the other chapters, but hopefully not in a bad way. Love you all! Thanks for the reviews!


	8. The Cave

**Baby Girl**

_At the end of Fourth Year, everything changed for the Golden Trio. A year later, the Ministry finally accepts that Voldemort has returned. With Sirius Black a free man, what will happen when rebellion and tragedy strike our hero and heroine?_

**A/N:** Sadly, I do not own anything associated with JK Rowling or the world of Harry Potter (excluding the books and movies). The plot, as well as any original characters, is mine.

**Chapter Soundtrack: **Bring Night- Sia, Try- P!nk, Narcissistic Cannibal- Korn

* * *

"What in Salazar's name did you think you were doing with that boy?" Snape demanded, pushing Amina up the porch and into manor.

The girl stared at her father, half in fright and half in anger. She backed up against the wall, digging her nails into her palms as she remained silent.

"He is pigheaded and arrogant, just like his father. He is beneath you and-"

"What would you know?" Amina burst out, pushing against her father's chest as he came closer. "I'm so sick of this! I'm sick of you hating him for no reason and I'm sick of being ignored! I'm not a child anymore."

"I am your father, and you will listen-"

"No! You know, I expect that you have to ignore me at school to an extent, but during the summer? It's been almost a month since I came back and I haven't spent a single day with you or Grandfather! All I do is sit here with Amelia wondering if you'll ever come home and I'm done. I'm done being pushed aside!"

For a moment Snape looked stunned, but he recovered quickly, his eyes glinting dangerously as he grabbed Amina's arm and pulled her up the stairs. She fought him all the way up, but his grip was too strong. When they reached the top of the staircase, he threw her door open and dragged her into her room. Waving his wand quickly, he charmed the windows and slammed the door behind him, casting the same charm so she couldn't escape. Amina banged on the other side of the door with her fists, screaming for him to let her out. He stood there listening for a brief moment, allowing his guilt to turn into fury at the Chosen One. Gripping his wand tighter, he swept down the stairs and apparated to headquarters.

* * *

Hermione watched from the living room as Harry stood at the water's edge, hands in his pockets as he paced furiously. It had been nearly two weeks since he had come to headquarters and he had barely said more than a few words. He was obviously distressed over the turn of events and had spent most of his days walking the beach. The morning after Harry had arrived, Dumbledore returned and spoken with him privately. He had not said a word about what he and Dumbledore had discussed, but a quiet fury seemed to be raging in him. Much more often than she would like, Hermione would see him running a hand through his untidy hair with despair etched into every fiber of his being. It was all she could do to stop Sirius from pushing him for information.

Today was no different from any other day that week. Sirius was sitting in the kitchen reading the Prophet with fists clenched. He was relatively happy with his newfound freedom although Dumbledore had restricted their chance even to go into town. There had been no recent disturbances made by the Death Eaters, and even the last muggle attack had been on the other side of the country.

Satisfied that there was nothing out of the norm, Sirius put the paper down and stretched his arms over his head. He looked over his shoulder at the young witch in the other room and called to her softly.

"How is he?"

The girl glanced at him, sadness emanating from her. "There's been no change. I tried to get him to talk about something this morning- anything- but he wouldn't. He's been pacing out there for hours."

Sirius nodded to himself. Rising from his seat he came to stand next to Hermione and watched his godson finally sit at the water's edge and start fiddling with his wand. "Are you certain that girl is really Snape's-"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "We've been over this a hundred times, Sirius. I've been watching those two for years and there's no way that she isn't his daughter. It all makes sense now."

"They look nothing alike."

"She's also not in Slytherin. You forget, Sirius that I've seen your mother's portrait and you look nothing like her. Maybe it's the same for them, but I think…"

"What?"

"Well, I've been doing some research and I can't find anything in either wizarding or muggle genealogy that connects the Snapes to the Renauds. I did find one recording of a Cloe Renaud in the new edition of Hogwarts: A History you gave me last week. She was very-"

"Cloe Renaud? I think I knew her," Sirius said, eyes widening as he thought back to his seventh year.

"I thought you might. You graduated in 1978 and that same spring the Board of Governors and the Ministry of Magic came together to offer her an apprenticeship to work in the Department of Mysteries with the early completion of her NEWTs. She made wizarding history."

"I remember. Lily would never admit it, but she was rather jealous because Cloe was a year behind us. I think I read something about her that summer though. Right before she was to report to the Ministry for her exam she disappeared. They had aurors searching for her for months but never did find out what happened to her and the Minister was very disappointed. The Order always suspected Voldemort was involved."

Hermione shuddered at the thought of Voldemort finding a girl as intelligent as Cloe.

"You don't think Cloe and Amina are connected do you?" Sirius asked.

She shrugged her shoulders. "Cloe was the only Renaud to have attended Hogwarts so they could be but I saw her picture in Hogwarts: A History with a copy of the initial article about her gaining the attention of the Ministry. They look even less alike than Snape and Amina do. Amina does look a great deal like someone else I've met, but I can't quite place who it is. Maybe Snape adopted her."

Sirius grunted in amusement. "Maybe. I just can't see old Snivellus willingly taking in any child merely for the fun of it."

"Well I can't exactly see him cozying up to one of your classmates and procreating. Can you?"

Sirius gaped at Hermione's serious expression and burst out laughing. She turned beat red after thinking about what she said and buried her face in her hands.

"Kitten, I think I've been a bad influence on you," Sirius chuckled, placing a hand on her shoulder and pulling her against him.

She laughed embarrassed and glanced out the window, her eyes again falling on her best friend. With a sigh she pulled away.

"What can we do, Sirius?"

Sirius shook his head. "I'll talk to him tonight. I promise I won't push him for information, but he can't keep going on like this."

"Why not take him out to Souties?"

"Didn't Molly say they were coming tonight?"

Hermione nodded. "She did, but I don't think he's ready to deal with her and Ron and Ginny just yet. They're staying for a few days this time so he'll have plenty of time to see them. I just think he needs to spend some time alone with you. You've hardly seen each other and maybe if he's alone, he'll open up."

Sirius smiled. "You really are a bright witch, Hermione."

Waving a hand in dismissal, she pushed him out the door toward his godson.

* * *

"Oh, Harry it's so good to see you!" Molly Weasley cooed as the scruffy-haired boy traipsed into the kitchen the next morning.

Despite all of her protestations and Sirius coming to her aid, Hermione had not been able to convince Mrs. Weasley that she was perfectly capable of running her own kitchen. The moment the matriarch had arrived she set about scrubbing the counters and summoning ingredients for dinner.

Currently, Mrs. Weasley was dishing out a large plate of scrambled eggs and sausages to the house's other occupants. Harry smiled and seemed genuinely pleased to see her. Hermione smiled and glanced at Sirius who winked. Returning to her plate, Hermione listened as Harry joined Ginny and Ron's conversation about the last few weeks before school and all the things they wanted to do.

"I was thinking," Sirius put in while the teens paused to take a few bites of breakfast. "I could take all of you out in the boat after lunch. There are some caves that Hermione mentioned that need exploring. It's the perfect day for it."

Mrs. Weasley looked weary. "I don't know, Sirius. Professor Dumbledore said-"

"The Headmaster said we needed to limit our trips to the village, but he said nothing about exploring Hermione's property. I've tested the limits of the protection he cast and it reaches far past the beach. I'll be very careful not to go too far. You could come as well, you know."

"Well, I… I suppose that would be alright. But I'm not coming. I have no particular fondness for muggle contraptions."

Ron and Ginny whooped in pleasure and Sirius looked between Harry and Hermione.

"You two up for it?"

"Absolutely," Hermione grinned.

"Harry?"

"Yeah, I'm up for it."

"Excellent! I'll get everything set up. Molly, are you sure you won't come?"

Mrs. Weasley shook her head. "I'm positive. I'll have your lunch ready before you leave and a basket for later."

* * *

"So, how'd you become so familiar with muggle artifacts?" Hermione asked, sitting cross-legged at the end of the dock.

Sirius jumped, nearly falling out of the boat. He glared as he realized who the young witch laughing was. "Never you mind. Shouldn't you be primping with Ginny?"

"Oh, don't be such a sour puss! I'm intrigued. Besides, I'm completely ready. So, where did you come by such knowledge?"

Shaking his head, Sirius sat and looked at her as he coiled a thin rope at his feet. "I know much more about muggles than you'd think, Hermione. I do have quite a past with them."

"How so?"

His mouth opened and then closed suddenly. "Lily. She was a muggle-born."

"From what you and Remus have said, I've never quite pictured her as the outdoorsy type."

"Well… You're right. She wasn't particularly, although James did manage to get her hiking a few times. I suppose my first real muggle interaction was when I was sixteen, after I moved into James' home."

"I thought his family would have lived away from muggles, being purebloods and all."

He smiled. "No, James and his parents loved muggles almost as much Arthur Weasley. Mind, they weren't obsessed with them in the same way, but they had many fast friends that were non-magical. He even had a cousin that was a squib that was living with them around the same time I was there after her parents kicked her out. She was quite the expert in non-magical affairs and taught me more than any professor ever could."

Hermione bit her lip as she stared at him, her concentration only being broken when Ron and Ginny came bounding down the dock with a much less enthusiastic Harry behind them.

"Ah," Sirius said, standing up. "Are you lot ready to go then?"

Hermione was vaguely aware of Harry giving her a strange look as she grasped Sirius's outstretched hand for assistance. She shrugged it off and sat at the edge of the boat with Ginny as Harry and Ron jumped in and Sirius started the motor.

They water sprayed them all as they went further and further from the house. Sirius expertly directed the boat toward an island of small cliffs on the far side of the Granger's property. After 10 minutes, Sirius slowed them down and dropped a small anchor just under an outcropping of silver stone.

"Is this it?" Ron asked, looking around curiously.

"This is just the parking spot. Come on." He winked and dove into the water.

Hermione and Harry shared a look.

"Is he always this spontaneous?" Harry asked.

"Typically," Hermione grinned. She slipped her shoes off and jumped in after Sirius, queuing the others to follow as her head broke the surface.

The group swam a short distance around a bend in the rocks and came to a large cavern. Sirius was waiting for them on the pebbled floor and waving for them to hurry. When they reached him, he pulled them out of the water and pointed to the different paths that lined the space.

"So far as I know, these all come out on different sides of the island."

"How'd you find that out?" Ginny asked, peering down one of the dark tunnels.

He shrugged. "I explored them a few days ago after Hermione mentioned them. I thought you four might want something reckless to do before you had to get back to school."

"Why would we ever want to be reckless?" Harry asked with a grin, getting his hair mussed in return.

"You're not your father's son for nothing, boy. Now which one?"

For hours they walked around the caves and tunnels on the island, only reconvening at the boat around lunch time. Harry seemed much happier than he had been the past two weeks, although there was still an edge of sadness whenever he found something particularly cool or beautiful, as if he wanted to share it with someone other than his current company. Ron and Ginny however were having the time of their life jumping in and out of the water and that seemed to have a positive effect on Harry.

"He seems happier," Sirius observed, sitting next to Hermione who taken to sitting in the sun every spare moment she had lately.

She smiled. "He does. But," she paused.

"He still misses her."

Hermione nodded. "I knew they were friendly, but I just never realized how close they had really gotten."

"It never really stops hurting when you lose the ones you love, no matter how you lose them."

Hermione glanced at the man next to her. He was looking down at his hands, sorrow etched in every fiber. She reached out and rested a hand on his forearm. Sirius glanced at her and rested his hand on hers, trying to smile.

"Thanks," he whispered. They sat there for a few more minutes, oblivious to a pair of green eyes that kept sweeping across their clasped hands.

"We'd better head back home before Molly sends out a search party," Sirius called, rising from his spot next to Hermione.

Ron, Ginny and Harry reluctantly followed as they climbed back into the boat. The sun was already quite low in the sky, casting an orange glow before them as they sped back to the house. Ron talked happily with Harry about their finds while Ginny yawned. Hermione interjected occasionally, all the while thinking about back to what Sirius had said about losing people. She had never realized just how much he had lost in the war, but it seemed as if there was something he wasn't saying. As if there was something more that he had lost than his best friend and his freedom.

They pulled up to the dock sooner than expected and piled out of the boat. Ron was already talking about dinner even though it wasn't for another hour and Ginny called the shower first. Hermione and Harry decided to go on a walk while Sirius took care of the boat.

The young friends walked for a while in front of the house before Harry broke the silence. "What's wrong with Sirius? He seemed so happy earlier."

Hermione took her time answering. "We were talking about you, actually."

"What do you mean?" Harry stopped walking.

She sighed. "We both noticed that you seem happier than when you first got here, but you're still not you. You still miss Amina." She smiled sadly. "I guess it made him start thinking about all of the loved ones he lost and how much it hurts. Doesn't matter how much time has passed."

Harry swallowed and nodded. "I'm sorry. About your parents I mean. I wish I could have been there for you."

"It's alright." She reached out and squeezed his hand. "Thanks."

"Dinner!" Molly Weasley called out.

* * *

The next evening found Hermione sitting alone in the living room with one of her family's photo albums while the house's other residents had made a trip into town. She'd spent the last hour staring at it, willing it to open itself but unsure if she really wanted to take this next step. Professor Dumbledore had made certain that things from her childhood home had made its way into her current residence in the hopes that it would help her heal. Of course she knew that it made sense and she quite agreed with him. If only she wasn't so scared of what the images might make her feel and make her remember.

"Stop being a fool," she whispered. "I've seen these hundreds of times before. They're only pictures…"

With a deep breath she opened the album to the first page. Her breath caught as she looked upon her twelve year old self sitting between her parents on their couch at home. They had their arms around her and looked just as happy as she remembered them being. She let herself smile as she remembered, glad that the pains he had anticipated hadn't come. She turned the page to see herself on a horse for the first time with her grandparents on either side. Hermione had been terrified to be on such a large animal and had insisted that they stay with her the entire time, convinced it was going to throw her. She laughed.

Page after page she turned, smiling at all of the goofy memories her parents had managed to capture of the three of them. A lump began to form in her throat and a prickling sensation began behind her eyes, but she blinked the tears away. With as much courage as she could muster, she turned one last page and her breath caught.

_Sirius._

Her head shot up as voices drifted through the open window. Scrambling to her feet, the album fell on the floor and she backed away from it. Spinning on her heel, she rushed through the front door, doing her best to breathe normally. In the darkening evening, she could just make out the Weasleys flaming hair and the three dark figures walking with them.

She met them at the bottom of the staircase, each carrying a paper sack of goods. At Mrs. Weasley's command, Ron, Ginny and the twins- who had met them in the village- took everyone else's bags and they headed into the house.

"Remus, I thought you were never coming back."

The werewolf smiled at Hermione. "I almost started thinking the same thing. Thank goodness Tonks came to relieve my post when she did, otherwise I think I would have gone stark raving mad."

"Hermione, are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost," Sirius said, gazing quizzically at her.

She opened her mouth to respond when she cut herself off.

"Harry, what are you doing?"

Remus and Sirius turned to look at the boy in question. He had fallen back from the group and was staring into the shadows. When he started moving toward them the others began following only to stop a short distance away with their wands drawn. Two figures moved into the light from the house.

"Amina?" Harry whispered, unbelief laced through his tone.

With a grin she launched herself at Harry who caught her around the waist.

"What are you doing here? What happened after he took you? Are you okay?" Questions spilled from Harry quickly, but were hushed by Amina.

"I'm fine, Harry. I'm just fine." She leaned in and captured his lips with hers.

For a moment Harry seemed stunned, but he quickly responded and pulled her closer to him. After a minute they broke apart.

"Let's go inside." She said, gripping his hand and pulling him toward the house.

"Snape-" Sirius started as the teens passed him.

The shadowed figure cut Sirius off with a swift motion and spun on his heel, disappearing into the shadows just as he had come. After only a moment there was a loud 'pop' and the man was gone.

Sirius turned around and looked from Remus to Hermione with a stunned expression. "We'd better get inside. I'm sure Molly will be mauling the poor girl to death."

Remus and Hermione followed Sirius into the house. He was indeed correct about Mrs. Weasley mauling Amina. She had her in the kitchen and was talking loudly, asking her question after question while piling a plate high with food. Remus laughed despite the tense situation and joined the crowd in the kitchen. Hermione was just about to follow when Sirius called out to her.

"Is this yours?" he asked, bending over to pick up the discarded photo album.

Hermione's heart stopped as he stood with the album open to last page she had turned to. He stared at the photo for a long moment then looked up at her, his gaze piercing her very soul. There was a burst of laughter from the kitchen that caused both of them to jump and look away. Seeming unsure of himself, Sirius slipped the book onto a shelf and went to join the group leaving Hermione in the hall staring after him.

* * *

**A/N:** Yes I know this has taken forever! I'm so so sorry! Honestly, life has yet to permit me ample time on a regular basis to write, plus let's just say the plot bunnies aren't very interested in assisting me at the moment. Anywho, working on the next chapter but no promises on when it'll be finished. I hope you liked this! **R&R!**


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